HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut mother of four who prosecutors say stole more than $70,000 from more than a dozen people in a series of identity thefts has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Thirty-seven-year-old Leshanda Long, of New Haven, was sentenced Monday in federal court in Hartford. She pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutors say Long used people’s personal information to obtain credit cards and cash advances, and pay for personal expenses. She has more than 20 previous convictions as well as pending state criminal cases.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of about five years in prison.
Long’s lawyer wrote in a court brief that Long stole the money for her family’s basic needs, including food and utilities.
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