November 15, 2007

Guilty Plea in Community Center ID Theft Case

Receptionist pleads guilty to identity theft after stealing credit card information of 18 Jewish Community Center members

MINEOLA – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that Elizabeth Young, a 22-year-old former receptionist at the Sid Jacobsen Jewish Community Center (“JCC”) in East Hills has pleaded guilty to stealing the credit card information of 18 JCC members.  After stealing the information, she and others used the stolen credit card numbers to purchase more than $15,000 in high-end merchandise. 

Thursday morning, the defendant pleaded guilty to felony Identity Theft in the First Degree, the top charge outlined in her August indictment.  After pleading guilty, Nassau County Court Judge George Peck agreed to impose a six-month jail sentence.  The District Attorney also demanded that the defendant be ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,000 and that she be fined $1,000.  She will be sentenced January 11.

“The members of the JCC did everything right,” said Rice.  “They checked their statements, they reviewed their bills, and they contacted the authorities when something seemed to be incorrect.  Identity theft is a rapidly growing crime because the victims don’t necessarily have to be careless or naïve to be swindled.  Deterrence and tough punishments must play a role in combating a crime that can victimize the most aware and knowledgeable among us.”

Following Ms. Young’s December 2006 arrest, Rice personally addressed the membership of the JCC and urged additional victims to come forward if a review of their statements turned up anything out of the ordinary. 

The charges state that between September 15 and November 30, 2006, JCC members and others using the facilities would make payments for memberships and classes at the JCC using their credit cards.  After processing the credit card payment, the defendant stole the name, credit card number, and other personal information of the member from the charge slips. Within days, she used that information for herself or sold it to acquaintances. She and the others used the identity and credit card information to order high priced items from Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue, racking up more than $15,000 in charges less than three months.  When the JCC members got their monthly statements, they saw the charges sandwiched in between legitimate charges they recognized. All of the charges were eventually reversed and the losses were incurred by Neiman Marcus (which owns Bergdorf Goodman) and Saks.

A second defendant, who purchased three stolen credit card numbers from the defendant and used them to make purchases and was also arrested in December 2006, pleaded guilty in April to identity theft and scheme to defraud.  The sentence date for Brigitte Thompson, 21, of Stewart Manor, has yet to be scheduled.

The case is being handled by Assistant District Attorney Diane Peress, Chief of the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Bureau.  Ms. Young is being represented by Glenn Hardy, Esq.