An East Bay man was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to a robbery in a Costco parking lot in San Leandro in 2021.
Freddie Lee Davis III and a co-defendant, Sene Malepeai, both 27, pleaded guilty to the charges after admitting they used stolen credit cards to make fraudulent purchases in 2021, according to a Thursday news release from the U.S. attorney’s office. Both also admitted to knowing the credit cards belonged to the victim of a robbery that took place on the night of June 17, 2021, the release said.
A woman walking to her car in the Costco parking lot told authorities someone reached out of a car window, grabbed her purse and sped away, dragging her the length of several cars, and injuring her hand and leg. The license plates on the Honda were traced to Davis, the news release said.
Davis was sentenced Thursday, while Malepeai awaits sentencing. Malepeai admitted being in a vehicle with three others who had plotted to rob an Asian woman, asserting they were “easy targets” who have more money and are less likely to fight back, according to the new release.
Malepeai admitted those in the car divided up the woman’s belongings, including cash, credit cards and a checkbook, and used the stolen goods, according to the release.
“Community members should be able to live their lives without fear of being robbed and having items stolen from them used fraudulently,” Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, said in the release.
In addition to two years of prison time, the minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Davis to pay restitution and serve three years of supervised release following his prison time.
Malepeai’s next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 7.
