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Ex CTA Employee Sentenced to 4 Years
in Prison for Identity Theft Scam

A former Chicago Transit Authority customer service representative was sentenced to 4 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections today for stealing the personal information of customers and using the information to purchase goods from local department stores, according to the office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

Miranda Smith, 24, of Chicago, plead guilty to aggravated identity theft and identity theft charges after being initially charged in 2007, after an investigation by the CTA and Chicago Police Department.   Cook County Judge Kenneth Wadas sentenced Smith during a hearing today.    Smith faced up to 7 years in prison.

According to prosecutors, between April and October of 2007, Smith was responsible for taking calls and credit information from customers to assist them in replenishing their CTA fare cards.  Smith stole customer information, including their personal credit card numbers, of 13 customers and used the information to make purchases from local department stores, including Nordstrom’s and Macy’s, prosecutors said.

Alvarez thanked the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Transit Authority for their assistance in this case.  Alvarez also thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys Ed Maloney and Rosanne Pulia of the Consumer Fraud Unit for their handling of the case.