Another woman accused of identity theft for cosmetic surgery

IdentityTheft — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:19:00 GMT

We were exposed to the Boob Bandit, the Breast Burglar and the Rhinoplasty Robber in March. With this month’s arrest of Patrice Thomas—the Tummy Tuck Thief--the strange club of women who steal identities to pay for plastic surgery has expanded.

Thomas, 33, is accused of stealing a stranger’s identity to acquire a credit card. She then allegedly used the card for partial payment on a $5,000 procedure to flatten her paunch; a second fraudulent credit card paid the $4,000 balance. She was arrested earlier this month and charged with credit card fraud, Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Federal agents discovered four credit cards in different names when they searched Thomas’ home in January as part of an unrelated criminal investigation, prosecutors said.

Thomas received the credit cards last August, and bolstered her credibility by obtaining a photo ID card at a passport shop, according to charges filed in Fort Lauderdale federal court.

Sheila Rodgers Cudgel, of the Houston area, was charged last month with committing identity theft to pay for a $10,500 nose job.

Yvonne Pampellonne was charged in March with committing identity theft to obtain liposuction and breast implants at a Huntington Beach, Cal. plastic surgery clinic.

Also in March, Julianne Johnson, of Bradenton, Fla. was arrested for stealing credit card information to pay for breast augmentation.

It’s a sad state of affairs when women so desperately want bigger breasts, smaller noses, narrower hips and tighter tummies that they’re willing to risk federal prison sentences to acquire superficial improvements. It must be especially frustrating for the women whose identities were stolen to pay for the procedures—they’ve probably spent years yearning for some of the same procedures themselves.

Sheila Rodgers Cudgel: ID theft for nose job in Houston

IdentityTheft — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:44:00 GMT

Wow. Last week’s weird ID theft news was all about the Boob Bandit. This week it’s Sheila Rodgers Cudgel, The Rhinoplasty Robber.

Cudgel, a Houston resident, acquired her victim’s personal information and used it to open new credit accounts, racking up almost $40,000 in charges, including the nose job that cost $10,500.

What is up will these identity thieves and their body modifications? I can understand their desire for new goodies like electronics and cars, but have no sympathy for those who steal another’s identity to pay for them. I can even (sort of) sympathize with people who commit identity theft because they have no other means of providing shelter, utilities or food for their families.

But to commit identity theft for something as unnecessary and vain as bigger boobs, narrower butt or a smaller nose? That’s just wrong, wrong, wrong, and the losers who commit these crimes get no compassion from me. In fact, if I were the one doling out their punishment, I’d sentence these criminals to the restoration of body fat, the repossession of implants and the restructuring of a plentiful proboscis.

(Full disclosure notice: It might be that the magnitude my own malice stems from my own vain desire for liposuction and jowl eradication.)

Crime Stoppers has offered a $5,000 reward for any information leading to Cudgel’s arrest and conviction.

ID theft : rhinoplasty

Another woman accused of identity theft for cosmetic surgery

Sheila Rodgers Cudgel: ID theft for nose job in Houston