Cahokia Heights woman gets federal prison time for cell phone scheme

A Cahokia Heights woman was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for her involvement in an identity theft scam.

According to the charges filed in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Jasmine Davison, 29, participated in a scheme to use stolen names and social security numbers to set up cellular service accounts at Sprint stores across southern Illinois. The bogus accounts were used to acquire new cell phones, which were then resold to other cellular retail stores in the area for cash, the charges alleged.

The scheme cost Sprint $31,874.30, according to court documents.

Davison is the third defendant to be sentenced in the case.

On Feb. 18, 2021, Michael Henderson was sentenced to serve two years in prison for his involvement, and Kyetia Hines was sentenced on May 5, 2021 to two years. Antoinette Davis, the last defendant, will be scheduled for later this month.

Henderson helped facilitate the scheme as an employee of a Sprint retail store.

Tamecia Buckley, 37, of Cahokia Heights, another co-conspirator pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud and five counts of aggravated identity theft in July 2019 and was sentenced to six years in federal prison, according to court documents. She has been in federal custody since Aug. 2019.

The illegal operation lasted from approximately Oct. 29, 2015 until May 14, 2018, court documents say.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Cahokia Police Department. It was prosecuted by Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, and Assistant Attorney Peter T. Reed.

This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 11:42 AM.