TAMPA, Florida — Coretta Bates, a 31-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, according to United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg. Bates faces a mandatory term of two years in federal prison, though a sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Bates opened an account at a credit union on April 18, 2023, using a counterfeit North Carolina driver’s license with her photo and the identifying information of another individual, referred to as “SLD.” The credit union approved the application and issued a credit card with a $20,000 limit to “SLD.”
Between May 9 and July 7, 2023, “SLD” made 22 cash withdrawals totaling $75,700 from the credit union’s checking and savings accounts via an interactive teller machine. These transactions were conducted under false pretenses using the unauthorized identity of another person…