Woman pleads guilty to crime of identity theft

The Daily Inter Lake

A Columbia Falls woman has been convicted of using stolen Social Security numbers and dates of birth to open fraudulent accounts with a Denver-based telecommunications company.

During a hearing Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Missoula, Andrea Mackowiak, 33, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.

Beginning in August 2006, Mackowiak stole up to 10 Social Security numbers - and their associated names and dates of birth - while working at a Whitefish orthopedic clinic, according to court documents.

Mackowiak then sent that information to a close friend in Washington state, who used the stolen identities to open fraudulent accounts with Qwest Communications, a company that provides phone, Internet and satellite TV service.

Prosecutors believe the fraudulent telephone accounts were set up for use by people in prison and to avoid paying bills for the service.

Mackowiak could face up to two years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine at her July 31 sentencing hearing.