Nykeythia Hudson, Aggravated Identity Theft, Missouri 2023

California Woman Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft

A California woman is facing the consequences of her crimes after being sentenced to 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft in St. Louis, Missouri.

Nykeythia Hudson, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and was sentenced by United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on January 28, 2017. The case was investigated by the Secret Service, with Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Berry handling the prosecution.

Hudson and her associate, both residents of California, traveled to Missouri to use counterfeit credit cards to fraudulently purchase gift cards and merchandise. They were stopped by police in St. Charles County, where a plastic bag containing 81 counterfeit credit cards fell out of the glove compartment of their rental car.

The counterfeit cards were embossed with altered card verification value, or CVV, numbers, and the account numbers on the front of the cards had been issued by financial institutions other than those appearing on the cards. In total, 20 of the cards were used to purchase Walmart Visa gift cards, while 47 were used to purchase TJ Maxx-Home Goods gift cards.

Surveillance footage from a St. Charles County Wal-Mart captured Hudson using a counterfeit Walmart Visa Debit card to purchase a Walmart gift card. The debit card was embossed with the USAA account number issued to A.V. and the name of a different person, neither of whom authorized the possession or use of her account number.

The case is a stark reminder of the consequences of identity theft and the importance of protecting one's personal information. Hudson's sentence serves as a warning to those who would seek to exploit the system for their own gain.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/judge-sentences-california-woman-committing-aggravated-identify-theft