Florida woman sentenced to 42 months for $118,000 identity theft

A Florida woman was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison on June 2, 2026, for identity theft and ordered to pay approximately $118,000 in restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The defendant stole the victim's identity and used it to obtain goods and services, resulting in direct financial losses of roughly $118,000. The restitution order requires full repayment to the single identified victim.

The sentence changes the defendant's status from pretrial release or detention to immediate incarceration in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The 42-month term begins on the date of sentencing, followed by a period of supervised release. Restitution payments are due according to a schedule set by the court, with the full $118,000 balance enforceable as a civil judgment if unpaid.

Downstream, the Bureau of Prisons must designate an appropriate facility and begin the sentence. The victim gains a formal restitution judgment that can be enforced through wage garnishment or asset seizure. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas, which prosecuted the case, will monitor compliance with the restitution order and any post-release conditions.

Similar identity-theft prosecutions trigger mandatory DNA collection, entry into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, and inclusion in federal criminal databases that affect future employment and housing screenings.

This case is one of multiple identity-theft sentencings announced by the Justice Department in 2026. The department has pursued such cases under 18 U.S.C. § 1028, which carries penalties of up to 15 years when the offense involves more than $1 million in losses or affects a financial institution, though the exact statutory counts in this matter were not detailed beyond the guilty plea to identity theft.