NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

JANUARY 22, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORMER SPRINGFIELD POLICE OFFICER

SENTENCED FOR FRAUD SCHEME

            SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Springfield, Mo., police officer was sentenced in federal court today for using his ex-wife’s identity in a scheme to defraud a credit card company and an online payment service.

             Charles Edward Johnson, 45, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr this morning to 15 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Johnson to pay $5,218 in restitution.

             On Sept. 4, 2008, Johnson was convicted at trial of mail fraud and credit card fraud. Johnson was an officer with the Springfield Police Department. 

             From November 2003 to Aug. 31, 2005, Johnson executed a scheme to defraud by using the personal information of his ex-wife to open three separate credit accounts with Capital One and an account with PayPal. Johnson used all four fraudulent accounts to obtain goods and services through online purchases shipped to his home in Springfield as well as advances obtained at various locations. Capital One sent bills in the name of Johnson’s ex-wife to Johnson’s home address in Springfield, and to keep the accounts open, Johnson made minimum payments on all three credit card accounts using money orders. Johnson obtained several thousand dollars in goods and services using the fraudulent credit cards and PayPal account, which he did not repay.

             Johnson was found guilty on three counts of mail fraud. Those charges related to billing statements for the three Capital One accounts, which he caused to be mailed by Capital One during the fraud scheme. Johnson was also found guilty of credit card fraud related to the three credit card account numbers from Capital One and an account number from PayPal, all of which were used to obtain money and property.

            This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.