Man sentenced for stealing identities, debit cards in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE – Stacy Moore, 48, of Miami Beach, FL, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence Thursday to 36 months in federal prison for executing an identity theft, bank fraud, and mail theft scheme. One of his victims wrote the court that Moore engaged in a “systematic thought out plan of doing the unconscionable act of stealing” when he used individuals’ stolen identities to order and then steal debit cards and PINs from mailboxes in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He subsequently used those cards at ATMs in both states to steal funds from bank accounts.

Another of Moore’s victims wrote the court, “Moore thinks that he can be a lazy person and just take from people who work hard, live right and do the right thing. It’s obvious that he thinks these rules [don’t] apply to him. He may think that he’s smarter than we fools who get up, sacrifice and go to work every day!”

Moore previously admitted to the court that as part of the scheme, replacement debit cards were ordered from banks using stolen personal identifying information. New debit cards and PINs were sent to the actual bank account holders, then stolen from the account holders’ mailboxes upon delivery by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). An Informed Delivery account through the USPS website was established for account holder’s address, allowing for notification when the replacement debit cards and PINs would be delivered.

Moore admitted that among his fraudulent activities were 17 unauthorized ATM withdrawals totaling $9,600 at ATMs in Boston in December 2018, and 10 unauthorized withdrawals totaling $6,000 in 2019 from ATMs in Middletown and Newport. Moore admitted to making multiple withdrawals from at least six individuals’ personal bank accounts.

According to information presented to the court, Moore made unauthorized withdrawals totaling $36,000, and attempted to withdraw an additional $4,800.

Moore pleaded guilty on February 5, 2020, to two counts of bank fraud and one count each of aggravated identity theft and theft of mail. He was sentenced on Thursday to a total of 36 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date.

Moore’s sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division Joseph W. Cronin, and Craig A. Marech, Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the United States Secret Service.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.

United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman thanks the East Greenwich, West Warwick, Barrington and Middletown Police Departments, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.