Cindy Young, 51, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for identity theft after a Ralls County jury convicted her on February 17.
Attorney General Chris Koster says in December 2006, Young used personal identity information of a former boyfriend to obtain lines of credit in excess of $56,000 for her new restaurant, Roadhouse Seafood and BBQ, in Palmyra. The credit was used primarily to purchase restaurant equipment and related items, as well as to secure utility services.
The two-day trial, before Judge David Mobley, involved witnesses from the New London and Hannibal areas, as well as from Jefferson City; Chicago; Davenport, Iowa; and Boston.
The jury deliberated 15 minutes before returning its verdict. Because Young is a persistent offender, she faced a range of punishment from 5 years to life imprisonment. Records show that Young has several prior felony convictions involving theft-related offenses and has previously served time in the Missouri Department of Corrections for those crimes.
“One of the fastest growing crimes in the United States is identity theft,” Koster says. “This office will continue to work to safeguard Missourians from identity theft and to prosecute to the fullest extent those who perpetrate the crime.”