Woman Pleaded Guilty To Defrauding Stores With Gift Cards

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) -- A District Heights woman has pleaded guilty to plotting to steal $485,000 in gift cards from Target stores.

Twenty-eight-year-old Ebony Nicole Ruffin entered the plea Thursday in federal court in Greenbelt.

According to her plea, Ruffin and others used counterfeit personal checks and false identification to get gift cards and merchandise from Target stores in several states.

Prosecutors say Ruffin used the gift cards to buy items from Target and other retailers, and later return the merchandise for cash.

Ruffin faces a maximum of 20 years in prison at sentencing on March 23.

Fraud
Target