Identity Theft Ring Indicted for Credit Card Fraud

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging six people with conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud, conspiring to traffic in contraband cigarettes, aggravated identity theft, and access device fraud.

According to allegations in the indictment, Travon Williams, 33, of Portsmouth, Rodriguez Norman, 29, of Temple Hills, Maryland, Nathaneal Williams, 25, of Manassas, and Marvin Mitchell, 33, Gentle Grant Tyson, III, 32, and Ebony Coe, 29, all of Virginia Beach, purchased stolen financial information including credit and debit card numbers from black market websites. The conspirators encoded that stolen information, including information belonging to real people, onto forged credit cards that they used to purchase things of value, including cartons of cigarettes. They then resold over 10,000 of those cigarettes to black market resellers for $47 per carton.

According to the indictment, laptops recovered from the conspirators included files of thousands of credit card numbers, including 2,000 numbers recovered from Travon Williams’ laptop and over 10,000 numbers recovered from Nathaneal Williams’ laptop.

Each defendant has been charged with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes, and at least one count of aggravated identity theft. Additionally, defendants Travon Williams, Nathaneal Williams, and Marvin Mitchell have been charged with access device fraud. The conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and the aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory term of two years in prison, if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maya D. Song, Whitney Dougherty Russell and Katherine E. Rumbaugh are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-254.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.