04/06/2005

Associated Press

A Manhattan woman accused of stealing credit card information from a North Carolina public television station's pledge drive and going on an $14,800 shopping spree pleaded guilty Tuesday.

Adaeze Okeke, 22, pleaded guilty to offenses including identity theft and grand larceny in Queens County Supreme Court for using the stolen credit card information from the donor list to splurge on airline trips, hotels, car rentals and a Father's Day gift basket, according to a statement from Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Justice James Griffin said he would order her to serve six months in jail and five years probation when she is sentenced May 16. He ordered her to make full restitution.

Okeke admitted in court that while working as an office temp at the University of North Carolina's public television station, UNC-TV, in early 2004 she copied the personal credit card information from a donor list she was assigned to enter into a computer for the station. She used the information to make fraudulent purchases including 18 travel packages from Travelocity and Expedia.com, internet travel service providers. The trips were mostly between New York and North Carolina or Virginia.

The investigation was sparked by complaints to Travelocity from credit card holders who said they were billed for trips that they did not book. Scott was arrested at LaGuardia Airport in July 2004.

Syretta Scott, 23, of Manhattan and a friend of Okeke who took the trips with her, pleaded guilty in February to a scheme to defraud in connection with the scam.