ID Theft Sends Towson Woman To Prison For 3-Plus Years

BALTIMORE, MD — A Towson woman will serve more than three years in jail for identity theft and wire fraud, a judge ruled on Friday, May 10. She was one of at least four people who conspired to buy cars with loans using stolen Social Security numbers.

Alice Gardner, age 44, of Towson, pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud as well as aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

Prosecutors said Gardner admitted to conspiring with others to acquire Social Security numbers, often from minor children. Then she would use the numbers on paperwork to buy cars from car dealerships, officials said.

Gardner admitted to the following incidents:

• Gardner applied for a loan to buy a 2015 Hyundai Sonata, using a Social Security number that was stolen. The loan was approved for $32,947.
• She applied for and got two loans to buy a 2009 Toyota Camry and a 2009 Lexus RX350 on Nov. 24, 2014, for $12,631 and $22,704,respectively.

After Gardner and others unloaded the stolen vehicles, the acquired cars would be sold by a co-defendant to unsuspecting buyers through an online marketplace. The proceeds of the scheme, totaled about $300,000 and were split between Gardener and four others.

Gardner was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, ruled District Judge Ellen Hollander on Friday, May 10.

Gardner was ordered to pay restitution of $170,837.

According to their plea agreements, from February 2013, through December 2014, Gardner and Wyche conspired with Chris Jordan, Cynquetta Martin, and others to commit bank and wire fraud. The conspirators would acquire the so