Former Broward County Resident Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Identity Theft Hotel Fraud Scheme

Halima Ouedraogo, 36, most recently of Kirkland, Washington, was sentenced on November 9, 2017, in Miami by U.S. District Court Judge Federico Moreno to 11 years and 11 months in prison in connection with an extensive identity theft and access device fraud scheme.  In a previous three-day trial, a jury convicted Ouedraogo of one count of access device fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1029(a)(2), one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1029(a)(3), and ten counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1028A(a)(1). 

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.

The evidence at trial established that Ouedraogo, who previously resided in Miramar and Pembroke Pines, systematically used other peoples’ identities to exploit an electronic reservation and check-in system used by certain hotel chains at the time.  For example, on August 4, 2015, Ouedraogo checked in to a Fort Lauderdale hotel using the credit card account number and other personal information of someone who did not know her, 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 charges on the stolen credit card began to be declined, Ouedraogo left without paying and checked into another nearby hotel, again using another victim’s name, credit card account number, and other personal information.  Ouedraogo was located and arrested later that morning while in possession of more than 1500 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 the victims authorized Ouedraogo to have or use their identifications.   Also found in Ouedraogo’s possession were numerous other hotel key cards, receipts, and folios. 

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, USSS and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. This case was 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.