Shostocka Keya Ward, Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Alabama 2014

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Table of Contents

Birmingham Woman Sentenced for Stealing from Elderly Resident

BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced a former Hoover senior living center employee to four years and nine months in prison for using the identity of a resident with dementia to steal more than $300,000 from the resident’s bank and credit accounts.

SHOSTOCKA KEYA WARD, 43, of Pleasant Grove, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Between Oct. 11, 2011, and Feb. 13, 2014, Ward carried out a scheme to defraud eCO Credit Union of money in the victim’s account through various means and without the victim’s authorization.

Ward’s fraud included writing more than $70,000 in unauthorized checks to herself and using the victim’s credit cards to charge thousands of dollars for expenses that included financing her own wedding, applying money to someone’s prison account, making car and private school tuition payments, and taking trips to Las Vegas, Chicago, Tunica, Miss., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Ward worked at Galleria Woods as a resident assistant or a transportation coordinator from about August 2010 to January 2014. In 2011, Ward became acquainted with the victim, a Galleria Woods resident who was 75 years old, had no immediate family, few visitors and an out-of-town family friend who served as her power of attorney.

Ward was ordered to pay $335,214 in restitution to the power of attorney for her elderly victim and several financial institutions, and to forfeit the same amount to the government as proceeds of illegal activity.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Williamson Barnes.