Montgomery Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Account Takeover Scheme and Aggravated Identity Theft

Montgomery, AL - On October 16, 2024, a federal judge sentenced 32-year-old Heaven Noretta Robinson, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, to 57 months in prison for her role in a scheme to fraudulently add her name to credit card accounts and stealing the identity of a deceased man to purchase a vehicle, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Scott Fix of the Postal Inspection Service's Houston Division. In addition to the prison sentence, the judge also ordered that Robinson pay restitution to her victims in the amount of $33,550.93 and to serve three years of supervised release following her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

"Financial fraud and identity theft costs victims billions of dollars each year," said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. "Criminals will use any information they can acquire to conduct their schemes and line their own pockets. I encourage everyone to be vigilant by reviewing your accounts and credit reports regularly for unusual activity. If you do see something suspicious, report it immediately to the appropriate financial institution and law enforcement. In addition, placing a credit or security freeze with each of the three credit bureaus is another way to prevent accounts being opened without your consent."

"A large part of the mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to ensure public trust in the mail. When individuals challenge that mission, postal inspectors will aggressively investigate and remain steadfast in our resolve to seek justice to the end." said Inspector in Charge Fix. "Robinson's sentence is a reminder that fraud and identity theft are not victimless crimes and individuals who attempt to commit these crimes face significant penalties as a result of their criminal activity."

According to her plea agreement and other court records, from February through October of 2022, Robinson acquired access to the bank and credit card accounts of others without the rightful owners' knowledge or permission. Once she gained access, Robinson added herself to the accounts and had credit cards associated with those accounts mailed to her. During her plea hearing, Robinson admitted that she would use the illegally obtained cards to make fraudulent purchases at various retail establishments for her personal benefit.

Robinson also admitted that, on September 17, 2022, she presented the personal identifying information of an individual she claimed to be her uncle to be used as a co-signor on a loan at a Montgomery car dealership. The loan was ultimately approved. However, the identifying information did not belong to her uncle. The information was that of a deceased man that never had any contact with Robinson, nor did his family or anyone else authorize her to use his identity as a co-signer on loan applications. Robinson pleaded guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft on July 3, 2024.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joel Feil prosecuted the case.