Gwinnett Man Gets Prison Term for Identity Theft

A Lilburn man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday (February 6) for his involvement in a large-scale credit card theft ring involving 10 other defendants.

Norman Uriah Simmonds, 33, is one of the two leading defendants in the case, according to a news release. He was sentenced to serve eight years and six months, followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $107,324.

The thefts started from June 2009 to November 2010, according to U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates, the charges and other information presented in court. The defendants obtained and possessed electronic devices referred to as “skimmers,” which are capable of copying and storing debit and credit card account information.

The 11 defendants, some of whom were employed by restaurant and retail establishments, used the skimmers to obtain customers' card account numbers. The restaurants and retail establishments include Shogun Japanese Steakhouse in Columbus; a Krystal restaurant in Columbus; a McDonald’s in Atlanta; and Polished Nail Salon in Lawrenceville.