Grand jury returns indictment
MADISON – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned an indictment on May 30. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted, the sentencing of a defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Two Charged with Fraud Scheme
Shelly Scott, 43, and Jason Edge, 44, both from Missouri, are charged with a scheme to commit wire fraud which involved identity theft. The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, attempting to commit wire fraud, using the identification of another person to attempt to commit wire fraud, and possessing the means of identification of another person. Scott is also charged with two counts of wire fraud.
The indictment alleges that Scott and Edge obtained identification documents of actual people without their consent, and that they obtained personal checks for accounts belonging to other people without their consent and altered the checks to add the names of the persons who identities were stolen.
The indictment alleges that Scott and Edge used the stolen identities and stolen or altered checks to purchase merchandise from Walmart stores, and then would return some of the merchandise in exchange for cash and gift cards. The indictment alleges that when a Walmart employee attempted to obtain authorization from TeleCheck, a company used by Walmart for the verification of personal checks, the defendants would call a co-conspirator and falsely indicate that the person on the phone was a TeleCheck representative, who would tell the Walmart employee to override the declination and accept the check.
The indictment alleges that:
• Between February 7 and February 13, 2018, Edge made over $17,000 in purchases at five Walmart stores in Illinois, using a stolen identity and altered personal checks;
• On February 24, 2018, an unidentified co-conspirator made purchases totaling $6,633.58 at Walmart stores in Madison, Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, using a stolen identity and stolen personal checks;
• On February 25, 2018, Scott made a purchase totaling $4,945.10 at the Walmart in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, using a stolen identity and an altered personal check; and
• On February 25, 2018, Scott and Edge attempted to make a purchase totaling $5,693.01 at the Walmart in Monona, Wisconsin, using a stolen identity and fraudulent personal check.
Scott and Edge were arrested in Monona on February 25 by officers with the Monona Police Department.
If convicted, Scott and Edge face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of the charges involving wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 15 years on the possession of another person’s identification, and a mandatory penalty of two years on the charge of using the identification of another person to attempt to commit wire fraud, also known as aggravated identity theft. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the aggravated identity theft charge be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
The charges against Scott and Edge are the result of an investigation by the Monona and Sun Prairie Police Departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Przybylinski Finn.
