Source: Office of United States Attorneys
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 114 months of imprisonment on his conviction of firearms and identity theft offenses, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Cheron Tucker, 28.
According to information presented to the Court, Tucker participated in an identity theft scheme in which he used the dark web to purchase credit card numbers and other identifying information of numerous individuals, using that information to rent vehicles through a complicit manager at a rental car company. Tucker and his conspirators then rented the fraudulently obtained vehicles to other individuals for cash. The Court ordered Tucker to pay nearly $900,000 in restitution to the rental car company.
While investigating one of the vehicles fraudulently obtained from the rental car company, the Brentwood Police Department conducted a search of a home associated with Tucker. The search revealed numerous documents and other evidence associated with the identity theft scheme, but also two loaded firearms, including one with an obliterated serial number. Tucker has prior felony convictions, including a previous federal conviction for use of unauthorized access devices for which Tucker was on federal supervised release when he committed these new offenses. Federal law prohibits the possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Olshan commended the United States Secret Service and Brentwood Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Tucker.