Florida woman receives 5 years imprisonment for credit card fraud and identity theft

Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced that Ana Alvarez, 55, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment after being convicted of 13 counts of credit card fraud and identity theft.

Alvarez was part of a ring of thieves who traveled from Florida to Indiana to commit credit card fraud. Alvarez and her co-defendants purchased compromised credit and debit card numbers on the Internet and used skimming devices to steal credit and debit card account information from victims in Central Indiana. Once Alvarez and her co-defendants were in possession of the stolen account information, they used the information to make more than $50,000 in purchases in Central Indiana.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting those individuals who engage in fraudulent activity, specifically those individuals like Alvarez, who brazenly travel across state lines to commit credit card fraud and identity theft,” said Minkler.

This case was jointly investigated by the United States Secret Service, Carmel Police Department, Noblesville Police Department and Westfield Police Department.

“Credit Card Fraud and Identity theft investigations remain a top priority for the Secret Service,” said Andrew Campion, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office. “We are committed to protecting our nation’s financial institutions and the citizens of Indiana. I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Carmel Police Department, the Noblesville Police Department and the Westfield Police Department for their cooperation and partnership in this case.”

According to Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley P. Shepard and Kathryn E. Olivier, who prosecuted this case for the government, Alvarez must also serve 3 years of supervised release following her sentence and pay $52,632.15 in restitution.

      In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who engage in fraudulent activity using identity fraud. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 4.4 and 4.5