FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 10, 2008
SHANNON LUCIENNE WHITE SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on April 10, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, SHANNON LUCIENNE WHITE, a 41-year-old resident of Great Falls, appeared for sentencing. WHITE was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 57 months
- Special Assessment: $200
- Restitution: $132,858.56
- Supervised Release: 3 years
WHITE was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
P.W. is a 91-year-old Great Falls resident who relies on various in-home health and assistance providers. WHITE was one of her in-home caretakers who was employed to perform certain household tasks such as cleaning and assisting P.W. in her daily routines.
On March 26, 2007, P.W.'s son, J.W., contacted the Great Falls Police Department and reported what he believed to be fraudulent activity on a brokerage account held by his mother through the use of a debit/credit card issued on that account. J.W. had contacted RBC Dain Rauscher regarding the bank account held by his mother, and had been informed that there were seven suspicious transactions between March 25, 2007, and March 26, 2007, on the P.W. account. J.W. indicated that his mother was housebound and was provided with home health care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She was virtually unable to leave the house and therefore could not have used the card at ATM machines or to purchase any goods or services.
J.W. advised that upon learning of the suspicious transactions, he went to his mother's residence and attempted to recover the ATM card associated with the RBC account from his mother's wallet, but it was not there. Nor could J.W. find the card anywhere else in the home. P.W. told her son that she did not have the card. J.W. told the police that WHITE, a home care attendant employed by P.W., had known where the ATM card had been located and returned it to P.W. once questions had been raised.
Agents obtained records of all of the ATM machines in Great Falls, and the 2005, 2006, and 2007 RBC account summaries regarding the use of the card. A review of those records indicated that from June 12, 2006, through March 26, 2007, there had been approximately 875 ATM and credit card transactions at convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, and gambling casinos in Great Falls, totaling approximately $134,000.
P.W. never used the card during this time period, and indeed was functionally unable to do so. Prior to May of 2005, she had relied upon WHITE to obtain cash on several occasions, using the card at banks in Great Falls. P.W. had not given anyone authority to use the card after May of 2005.
Agents obtained copies of video surveillance tapes from several of the gambling establishments where the ATM cash withdrawals were made. Those videos revealed WHITE using the ATM card belonging to P.W. on at least 18 occasions from March 1, 2007, through March 26, 2007.
A review of RBC Dain Rauscher account records revealed that WHITE had begun illicitly and illegally using the debit card in June of 2005, and continued to use the card often - 875 separate transactions - until March 26, 2007, when the theft was discovered and the card retrieved. During that 22-month period, WHITE obtained in excess of $134,000 of P.W.'s money.
Shannon WHITE was interviewed and admitted that she had used the card, without authorization, to illegally obtain money from P.W.'s account.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that WHITE will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, WHITE does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl E. Rostad prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Great Falls Police Department.
