Boston Woman Pleads Guilty For Role In Credit Card Scam

          CONCORD, N.H. – Laura A. Minot, 52, of Mattapan, Massachusetts pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit access device fraud in connection with her participation in a fraudulent credit card scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Minot admitted that on April 16, 2014, she conspired with others to purchase gift cards and high value merchandise at retail box stores in New Hampshire and Massachusetts using retail credit card accounts and lines of credit that she and/or her co-conspirators opened in the names of other actual persons without their authorization or knowledge.  Minot and her co-conspirators opened the credit card accounts and lines of credit using misappropriated personal identifying information and false identification cards.  Minot is facing up to 25 months in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2015.

          This investigation was lead by the Boston office of the U.S. Secret Service and the Medway and Cambridge, Massachusetts Police Departments, the Massachusetts State Police and local police departments in Acton, Ayer, Bedford, Boston, Brookline, Cohasset, Dover, Groton, Lincoln, Littleton, Medfield, Medford, Norton, Plymouth, Reading, Sudbury, Sutton, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston and Westwood. The Hollis, New Hampshire police Department also assisted in the investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.