FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 28, 2008
JESSE GLEN TUCKER PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings on March 28, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, JESSE GLEN TUCKER, age 40, pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is set for June 26, 2008. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
From December of 2004 through February of 2005, TUCKER and a female accomplice posed as other individuals and, using stolen credit card numbers, stayed at a number of resorts and hotels in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Montana. While at the resorts, TUCKER and the female used the stolen credit cards to purchase retail goods, food and rooms.
In February 2005, the Carbon County Sheriff's Office was called by employees at a local resort due to TUCKER and the female's suspicious activities, which included drug activity occurring in their hotel room. Officers discovered TUCKER and the female were driving a stolen vehicle and when officers responded to the resort, TUCKER and the female fled from the scene. A high speed chase ensued and TUCKER and the female were eventually caught near Joliet. During the chase, speeds exceeded 90 mph on snowy roads outside Red Lodge, officers locked down schools in Roberts and Joliet, and TUCKER and the female were only stopped by spike strips laid across the road near Joliet. When arrested, TUCKER and the female possessed drugs, drug making equipment, and over 1,500 stolen credit card numbers and names.
TUCKER and the female victimized numerous businesses for a total actual loss close to $60,000. The female was interviewed and admitted that TUCKER would dumpster dive for credit cards. He would then call a resort and purport to be the individual who owned the credit card number. He would tell the hotel that he had left his wallet in a previous hotel and ask if he could have it sent to the new hotel. The female would then call the resort and pretend to be a clerk from the previous hotel and inform the new resort that the wallet was being shipped. TUCKER and the female would then check into the new resort under a false name without showing identification.
In January of 2005, TUCKER and the female made their way into Montana to stay at a resort near Red Lodge. They checked in with a card number belonging to another individual and TUCKER signed numerous receipts in that name and indicated they were driving a red Dodge Dakota. As with previous resorts, TUCKER had called ahead and informed the resort that he had left his wallet at a previous resort and it was being shipped so he would have to check in without identification.
Upon his arrest, TUCKER admitted he used stolen credit card account numbers which he combined with fictitious names to pay for hotel rooms. He expressed surprise that he was suspected of possessing only 1,500 cards and stated that he had at least 5,000 in Colorado. He also said that he obtained the credit card numbers by paying the front desk personnel at high-end hotels with drugs in return for credit card information of customers staying at the hotels.
TUCKER faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release for wire fraud. In addition, TUCKER faces an additional mandatory two year imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence, for aggravated identity theft.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Archer prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service.
# # # #
A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
