Kansas City Woman Sentenced for Mail Fraud:
Deshonda Anderson, 25, was convicted in federal court on Monday on mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. Anderson is guilty of leading a scheme that involved using fake and stolen identities to lease cars, rent apartments, and open bank accounts. She has been sentenced to five years and six months in federal prison and must also pay back over $39,000 in restitution.
Federal prosecutors provided evidence that showed Anderson defrauded at least 39 individuals, businesses, and banks in a four month after relocating to Kansas City from Texas in February 2012. She used fake and stolen social security numbers, fake pay stubs, and other falsified information to obtain credit lines, bank accounts, apartments, cars, and a business office. In total, she was able to defraud at least 11 landlords and three car dealerships in this mail fraud scheme.
Anderson in one instance presented worthless payments of $669 for office space from Regus Management Group for the company she owned, Vixen Kandi Co. She used these payments to open four bank accounts at M&I bank which created losses of over $2,600. Anderson also caused losses of $6,523 to UMB Bank and five others when she used her daughter’s social security number to open checking accounts.
Court records show that Deshonda Anderson, who was indicted in June of 2012, entered a guilty plea to charges of mail fraud and identity theft.