United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today, May 14, 2008, that Pierce Aaron Jones, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to 26 months of incarceration and three years of supervised release on his conviction of Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.

United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Jones, age 38.

According to information presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway, Jones, over a several year period, used the names and social security numbers of approximately seven individuals with names similar to his own to fraudulently obtain debit and credit cards.  He also used the name and social security number of an individual with a similar name to apply fraudulently for credit to purchase an Audi automobile.

Ms. Buchanan commended the Financial Crimes Task Force of Southwestern Pennsylvania for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Jones.  The Financial Crimes Task Force of Southwestern Pennsylvania is comprised of United States Postal Inspectors, Special Agents of the United States Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Investigators from the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, and Detectives from Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh.