Hartford Couple Sentenced To Prison For Operating Identity Theft And Credit Card Fraud Scheme

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that two Hartford residents were sentenced today in Hartford federal court for operating an identity theft and credit card fraud scheme.  U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea sentenced JONATHAN PRESTON, 23, to 46 months of imprisonment, and his wife, LUMI NUNEZ, 34, to 30 months of imprisonment.  Both defendants were ordered to serve three years of supervised release after they are released from prison.

According to court documents and statements made in court, PRESTON and NUNEZ used the Internet and other sources to obtain personal identifying information of several prominent individuals, including entertainers and professional athletes, and used that information to pose as their victims to gain access to the victims’ credit card accounts.  Since approximately 2010, PRESTON and NUNEZ used the credit card accounts to make more than $500,000 in unauthorized purchases and cash withdrawals.  The defendants used much of the stolen money to purchase vehicles and jewelry, and to gamble at casinos.

PRESTON and NUNEZ have been detained since their arrests on November 7, 2013.  In February 2014, they each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Judge Shea scheduled a restitution hearing for August 25, 2014.

This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, Hartford Police Department and Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force.  The Task Force includes members of the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police, and the Greenwich, Hartford, Monroe, Stamford, Shelton, Stratford and Waterford Police Departments. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Chang and Paul McConnell.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov