Jury in central Illinois convicts in identity theft case
CHICAGO (AP) - Federal jurors in central Illinois have convicted a 24-year-old of using false identities to steal thousands of dollars in merchandise and gift cards.
The U.S. attorney's office in Springfield says Keith JD Offord of Carpentersville was convicted Thursday of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. The trial started Feb. 6 and jurors returned with a verdict after just two hours of deliberations.
Prosecutors say Offord added photographs of another schemer to fraudulent IDs. He then committed the thefts at stores in the Springfield area and in St. Louis starting in 2013. Among other thefts, he made off with around $2,500 from a Bergner's and $2,170 from a Sam's club in Springfield.
The bank fraud conviction alone carries a maximum of 30 years in prison. Sentencing is set for June 18.