Norfolk McDonald's cashier admits stealing card data

NORFOLK

When Sophia Jacobs worked the drive-thru at the Norfolk Naval Station McDonald's, she swiped hundreds of customers' credit or debit cards twice - once through the register and again through a skimmer.

She and her friends then went on a shopping spree with those card numbers to the tune of about $50,000, according to federal court filings.

Jacobs, 25, of Newport News, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen set sentencing for Nov. 7.

In December, an alleged co-conspirator asked Jacobs if she wanted to earn extra money by "swiping" McDonald's customers' credit or debit cards. Jacobs agreed, earning $10 for every swipe. The co-conspirator gave Jacobs a hand-held device that she slipped in and out of her pocket while working at the drive-thru on base, according to the court records.

The Navy Federal Credit Union began receiving reports of fraudulent transactions and determined that most of the cards had a common denominator: They were all used at the McDonald's on base.

After reporting the crime to base police and the Naval Criminal Intelligence Service, agents installed hidden cameras at the McDonald's. They saw Jacobs swiping 210 credit cards on the small device during three days between April and May.

Agents followed Jacobs and saw her meet with a co-defendant, Tiquan Savary of Norfolk.

Around the same time, police in Chesterfield, outside Richmond, arrested two women who used credit cards in the case to make fraudulent purchases at a Target there.

Agents placed tracking devices on several vehicles driven by those involved, according to the court records. Those vehicles were traced to area Target, Walmart and Walgreens stores where the stolen credit card numbers were used to purchase gift cards and other items. They also recovered torn-up pieces of store receipts from public and motel trash cans as evidence.

Jacobs admitted receiving $2,100 in gift and pre-paid credit cards in exchange for swiping the credit cards.

In June, agents charged Savary, Jacobs and co-defendants Russell R. Harris, Lloyd A. Harris, Tiffany Joy Vulcain, all of Brooklyn, and Cheryl Ann Taylor of Norfolk. An indictment remains pending against all but Jacobs. Their trial is scheduled for November.

Tim McGlone, (757) 446-2343, tim.mcglone@pilotonline.com