Chandler Woman Sentenced to Prison for Identity Theft

(Phoenix, Ariz. – Sept. 8, 2008) Attorney General Terry Goddard today announced that Nora Elena Escobar, 38, of Chandler, has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison and ordered to pay $11,180 in restitution in an identity theft case.

She pleaded guilty to one count of theft, a Class 3 felony, in Maricopa County Superior Court on July 22, 2008.

Escobar obtained a credit card in the name of another individual without that person’s permission. She used the card to purchase more than $4,000 in merchandise between May 2002 and April 2003. Escobar gained access to the personal and account information needed to open the credit card through her position as a fraud prevention specialist for Sears National Bank in Florida.

This case is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information, please contact Anne Hilby at (602) 542-8019.

The Attorney General’s Office offers an Identity Theft Repair Kit on its Web site, www.azag.gov. The kit provides tips for avoiding ID theft as well as advice on how to restore your identity if you become a victim. The Attorney General’s Office’s Crime and Fraud Prevention Unit is available to give presentations to community groups on ID theft prevention and other consumer topics. For more information, call (602) 542-2123 or email [email protected].