ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A gritty federal crime has come to a close as Phyllis Ann Garcia, 31, from Hudson, N.C., was sentenced yesterday to 54 months in prison for bank fraud and related charges. The sentence, announced by U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina, also includes three years of supervised release and $18,418.16 in restitution.
Between 2020 and 2021, Garcia and her co-conspirators, an organized crime syndicate of mail thieves, stole checks, money orders, credit cards, and personal identifying information (PII) from victims in Caldwell and Catawba Counties. They exploited these stolen assets to defraud banks and other financial institutions through a method they aptly called “mailboxing,” which involved rifling through residential and business mailboxes.
According to court documents, Garcia’s signature was forged or altered on the stolen checks and money orders, which were then cashed. Her gang also used victims’ debit and credit cards for purchases and obtained new credit cards in their names using the stolen PII. At least 247 individuals were victimized, with law enforcement attributing the theft of at least 495 pieces of mail to Garcia’s criminal enterprise.
Garcia pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, access device fraud, and bank fraud. Currently in federal custody, she awaits transfer to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility after her sentence is served.
U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, and Hickory Police Department for their relentless pursuit of justice in this case.
The Asheville U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted Garcia’s case, ensuring a swift and fitting punishment for the organized crime that plagued North Carolina’s Western District.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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