Woman sentenced for defrauding Glen Carbon credit union
Times-Tribune staff
A St. Louis woman will spend a year in federal prison after defrauding a Glen Carbon credit union of nearly $10,000 and attempting to commit loan fraud at another Metro East financial institution.
Federal prosecutors said in a news release 20-year-old Toneka D. Prince pleaded guilty last week to one count of falsely obtaining property owned by a financial institution and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Illinois.
In addition to a year in prison, she was ordered to pay 9,800 in restitution and will be placed on federal supervision when her sentence is completed.
“Stealing identities, taking out loans in someone else’s name and defrauding a financial institution are all serious crimes, and luckily, the defendant was apprehended,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate our federal and local law enforcement partners for their efforts to bring Ms. Prince to justice.”
Prince defrauded First Community Credit in Glen Carbon by using someone else’s identity to apply for the $9,800 loan online. Once approved, she used a fake driver’s license on June 24 to enter the credit union and collect the cash.
After defrauding the credit union in Glen Carbon, Prince went to the First Community Credit Union in Fairview Heights and on June 28 used a stolen identity to complete another loan application. Prosecutors said there she used a fake Illinois temporary license and a fake gas bill with the identity theft victim’s real social security number and date of birth.
Law enforcement officers apprehended Prince at the credit union in Fairview Heights, according to the release.
“This type of fraudulent activity can be devastating to hardworking citizens and their families, and we appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold individuals accountable for their actions,” said USSS Resident Agent in Charge Stephen Webster. “The U.S. Secret Service remains committed to identifying, investigating, and pursuing those who attempt to enrich themselves through fraudulent means.”
