A retired Air Force senior master sergeant was handed a two-year prison term Friday for stealing government credit cards and personal identifying information from more than 30 fellow service members in the San Diego area.
Christopher Dwan Underwood, 42, was arrested last June and pleaded guilty to identity theft and wire fraud in January.
According to court documents, the San Diego resident used his Air Force privileges to gain access to gymnasiums at local military installations, where he filched credit cards and personal identifying information — including addresses, birth dates and Social Security numbers — from his victims’ unattended personal effects. He then activated their government Citibank charge cards and used them to make hundreds of unauthorized purchases.
In his illicit spending sprees, Underwood obtained numerous cash advances and bought such items as airline tickets and meals at upscale restaurants. The losses totaled tens of thousands of dollars, according to prosecutors.
— City News SErvice