Former Broward County Resident Convicted in Identity Theft Hotel Fraud Scheme

Following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Federico A. Moreno, a jury convicted a former Broward County resident of access device fraud and identity theft.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), made the announcement.

Halima Ouedraogo, 36, most recently of Kirkland, Washington, was convicted of one count of access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(2), one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3), and ten counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1). Ouedraogo faces up to ten years in prison for each access device fraud charge, and a possible mandatory two year term in prison for each of the ten aggravated identity theft charges. Sentencing is scheduled for November 9, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Moreno.

The evidence at trial established that on August 4, 2015, the defendant Ouedraogo checked into a Fort Lauderdale hotel using the credit card account number and other personal information of someone who did not know the defendant, and did not authorize her to possess or use it. Ouedraogo stayed at the hotel for three weeks, where she ordered several meals, movies, and other incidentals, running up an overall tab of more than $5,000.

When management inquired into the bill after charges on the stolen card began to be declined, the defendant left without paying and checked in to another nearby hotel, again using another victim’s name, credit card account number, and other personal information. She was located and arrested later that morning. In her possession were several hundred names, dates of birth, social security numbers, bank account numbers, driver’s licenses, checkbooks, tax documents, bank cards, vehicle registrations, student identifications and additional personal information belonging to other people, none of whom authorized Ouedraogo to have or use it.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, USSS and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne P. McNamara and Frederic Shadley

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.