Wednesday, July 13, 2005
D.A. BROWN: OFFICE TEMP SENT TO JAIL AND ORDERED TO PAY FULL RESTITUTION FOR STEALING OVER $14,000 IN INTERNET AIR TRAVEL RIPOFF; DEFENDANT ADMITTED THAT SHE USED IDS OF OVER SIXTY OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PLEDGE DRIVE DONORS TO FRAUDULENTLY PURCHASE PACKAGES OF US AIR TICKETS, HOTEL STAYS AND CAR RENTALS
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a female office temp has been sent to jail and also ordered to pay full restitution for stealing more than $14,000 in an internet air travel ripoff scheme.
According to the District Attorney, the defendant admitted that she used the personal identity information of at least 60 University of North Carolina public television pledge drive donors to purchase 18 travel packages from Travelocity -- an Internet travel service provider -- which she used for frequent US Air flights between New York and North Carolina and Virginia.
District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant admitted she stole personal identity information from university pledge drive donors to obtain air travel packages valued at over $14,000. Her crimes were a gross betrayal of trust and she will be required to pay back every penny that she stole. Identity theft will not be tolerated.”
District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Adaeze Okeke, 23, an office temp, of 310 West 143rd Street in Manhattan. The defendant pled guilty on April 5, 2005 to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Identity Theft in the First Degree before Queens Supreme Court Justice James P. Griffin who earlier today imposed a sentence of six months jail, five years probation and ordered the defendant to pay full restitution.
District Attorney Brown said that according to the criminal charges, the defendant in early 2004 was placed by a temporary employment agency in a position to work for UNC Public television in North Carolina and that her job consisted of data entry of pledges made to the TV station which included the personal and credit card information of the donors. The defendant between January 2, 2004 and July 15, 2004 purchased over 18 travel packages including airline tickets and hotel and car rentals on the Internet from Travelocity -- an internet travel provider -- with credit card numbers belonging to individuals who had not granted permission for their credit card accounts to be used for the purchases. Most of the travel packages were for travel between New York and North Carolina. The defendant also purchased travel packages on Expedia -- another internet travel provider -- and Father’s Day gift baskets from 1-800-flowers using stolen identities.
The District Attorney said that on July 16, 2004, the defendant was observed boarding US Air Flight 3415 and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey detectives arrested the defendant at the US Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport and confiscated documents bearing the names of individuals whose identities she had stolen after complaints to Travelocity about credit card billing and reversal of Travelocity charges sparked an investigation.
District Attorney Brown expressed his appreciation to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department and Travelocity including Allison Moss, Customer Service Manager, for their cooperation and support in the investigation.
The investigation was conducted by Port Authority Police Department Detectives Aida Carrasco and Curt King under the supervision of Lieutenant William Hanley and the overall supervision of Superintendent of Police Samuel J. Pulmeri, Jr.
Assistant District Attorney Allison P. Wright of the District Attorney's Economic Crimes Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Gregory C. Pavlides, Bureau Chief, and Diane M. Peress, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M. Cantoni.