DA: Rockville Centre woman used Craigslist in identity fraud scheme

A Rockville Centre woman allegedly used fake Craiglist ads for nonexistent jobs and apartments to steal hundreds of identities nationwide, which she and another defendant used to apply for bank loans and credit cards and steal more than $75,000, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.

Susan Pemberton, 42, of Rockville Centre and Cynthia Sibert, 22, of Roslyn were indicted by a grand jury Tuesday on charges of grand larceny and schemes to defraud.

The two women are also accused of filing fraudulent sate income tax returns for more than $500,000 in refunds.

The DA’s office worked with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance’s Criminal Investigation Division – Buffalo Office, and was assisted by the United States Postal Inspection Service.

In a press release, Rice said that between February 2010 and October of 2011, the two defendants sent their victims employment and rental applications that asked for their name, address, birth date and Social Security number, and used that information to file more than 250 false tax returns and obtain bank loans and credit cards.

“These scammers preyed on the elderly and people who were looking for honest work and affordable housing, and then stole money from the pockets of every taxpayer,” Rice said. “Identity theft is a serious crime that can affect anyone, and my office will continue working with the public so they can protect themselves from scams like this.”

Hundreds of documents and notebooks with detailed records of the victims’ personal information, the press release read, were found after search warrants were executed at the defendants’ homes. The investigation began in the early months of 2011 when Department of Taxation and Finance discovered that hundreds of tax refunds were being claimed from more than 10 Nassau County addresses.

One of the addresses was a rental mailbox in Great Neck that had been identified on returns as an “apartment.”

“The arrest and indictment of these two individuals sends a strong message to other criminals who would prey on innocent victims,” said Thomas Mattox, New York State Tax Commissioner. “I commend DA Rice and the staff of the Tax Department… for their hard work to bring about these indictments.”

Pemberton was arrested on Nov. 16, 2011 and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Sibert, arrested Nov. 18, 2011, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.