Montgomery woman sentenced to over 4 years in prison in identity theft case

MONTGOMERY, Ala. ( WIAT ) — A 32-year-old Montgomery woman was sentenced to over 4 years in prison for scheming to add her name to credit card accounts and stealing the identity of a dead man to purchase a vehicle.

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According to the United State's Department of Justice, Heaven Noretta Robinson added herself to the bank and credit card accounts of others without the owners' permission and had credit cards associated with those accounts issued to herself. Robinson would then use the illegally obtained cards to make fraudulent purchases for her own benefit.

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"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."

The DOJ said Robinson also admitted she presented personal information of someone she claimed to be her uncle to be used as a co-signer on a loan at a Montgomery car dealership. The information Robinson presented was actually that of a dead man who she never had any contact with.

Robinson pleaded guilty to mail fraud and aggravated theft on July 3, 2024. She was sentenced to 57 months in prison in total.