Alisha Terese Rodriguez, 35, of Stockton, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday with identity theft related charges.
Rodriguez pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges of being a felon in possession of firearm, credit application fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identification theft, access device fraud and possession for fraudulent use of identification documents of others.
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Authorities said the elaborate identity theft scheme has been going on since last August. Rodriquez’s neighbors said it suddenly makes sense.
“She was quiet, the garage was always closed,” neighbor Rocher Paul said.
Rodriguez lived in the Otto Drive home with her three young kids. Neighbors said she’d only been there for about a month and kept to herself, but always had strange visitors stopping by.
Federal authorities searched her home on May 9.
“I hear the noise when (they were) pounding the door because the door is so close,” Paul explained.
Authorities said Rodriguez had personal and financial information on more than 300 people. They also said she developed a “sophisticated bank fraud scheme”.
According to the federal complaint, Rodriguez stole other people’s identities to open new credit card accounts they weren’t aware of. Then, after racking up massive credit card bills, she’d pay them off by transferring large amounts of cash from other victims’ bank accounts.
“We were surprised,” Paul said. “Especially when you see the Postal Service because it’s a federal crime”
In all, she’s accused of stealing about $200,000.
“It’s kinda scary,” neighbor Anthony Hopkins said. “You see people go and come, but you never know what their secret lifestyle is about.”
The criminal complaint said Rodriguez confessed and said she knew her actions were “wrong and illegal.”
Federal authorities said Rodriguez also told them that her friends gave her the victims’ personal information in the “form of medical records.”
These charges do not sit well with Hopkins, who has been a victim of identity theft.
“To know people can have your information that easily and use it against you,” Hopkins said. “It’s scary.”
Authorities said they also found meth and drug paraphernalia in Rodriguez’s home.
Rodriguez is scheduled to appear before judge on June 19, 2013. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison for the felon in possession charge, 30 years in prison for bank fraud, 10 years in prison for access device fraud and 20 years in prison for possession of ID of others.
