Shannon Bentley, Credit Card and Identity Theft, Florida 2019

Orlando, Florida – Shannon Bentley, a 33-year-old woman from Sorrento, has been sentenced to nine years and three months in federal prison for her role in a credit card and identity theft scheme that resulted in over $812,000 in losses.

According to court documents, Bentley pleaded guilty on January 22, 2019, to charges of credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The scheme, which lasted from August 2014 through July 2018, involved Bentley obtaining personal identifying information from victims and using it to obtain fake credit card accounts and cards in their names. She then used these cards to obtain goods, gift cards, and cash at retail establishments and banks throughout Orlando and surrounding areas.

Bentley was the leader of a group of conspirators who used sophisticated means to facilitate the fraud and exploited the advanced age of their elderly victims to steal their identity, causing them to incur exorbitant fraudulent charges.

The total amount of loss as a result of the scheme was estimated to be over $812,000, involving the compromise of hundreds of credit card accounts.

Bentley's co-conspirators, Lenardra Griffin and Christina Scott, have also pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme and are scheduled to be sentenced in September 2019.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the United States Secret Service.

Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill is prosecuting the case.

Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the federal government. Together with federal, state, local, and tribal partners, the government is committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training, and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/sorrento-woman-sentenced-more-nine-years-federal-prison-credit-card-and-identity-theft