Lowell woman accused of ID theft, fraud
DA says dozens were victimized
A Lowell woman was indicted yesterday on 67 counts of credit card fraud, larceny, and identity theft crimes for a scheme that involved stealing personal information of at least 34 people, many of whom were physicians, according to the Middlesex district attorney’s office.
Desiree Gordon, 38, was indicted by a Middlesex grand jury on 15 counts of larceny over $250; six counts of larceny under $250; 22 counts of identity fraud; 20 counts of credit card fraud; two counts of forgery; and for being a common and notorious thief, District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a statement.
Victims of the alleged crimes came from around the country, including Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, among others, said Corey Welford, a spokesman for Leone’s office.
Gordon’s alleged scheme was brought to the attention of State Police in December, when one of the victims reported that her personal information had been compromised and used to obtain a credit card that was sent to a post office box in Lowell, Leone said.
Postal inspectors learned that the box was rented by Gordon and that multiple credit cards in other victims’ names had been sent to that box, as well as to the defendant’s home address, Leone said. Charges made to those credit cards could be traced to the defendant, he added.
Home phone numbers listed for Gordon were disconnected.
The district attorney’s office believes the defendant had access to a database of healthcare professionals that contained their personal information, through her employment at a medical cost-management firm. The name of that firm was not released.
After obtaining a search warrant of Gordon’s Lowell home, police found the credit cards inside, Leone said.
Gordon is to be arraigned July 1 in Woburn Superior Court.
