Broken Arrow Woman Gets 11 Years In Prison For Identity-Theft Scheme

Associated Press

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) -- A judge in East St. Louis has ordered an Oklahoma woman to spend 11 years in federal prison and pay nearly $123,000 in restitution in an identity-theft scheme rooted in southwestern Illinois.

U.S. District Judge Michael Reagan on Thursday also ordered 37-year-old Selena Bradford of Broken Arrow to forfeit $49,000 in bank fraud proceeds and other assets.

Bradford pleaded guilty in May to various fraud charges, misusing a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft. Authorities say Bradford and others got personal identification information to get IDs from at least six states, then used them to open checking accounts under false names.

She then used the money to pay for living expenses, buy items for resale and fund the prison trust account of a co-conspirator.