Dekita Bellamy,
By Kevin Deutsch
Two local women were sentenced Wednesday for their roles in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain credit cards used to buy more than $100,000 in personal cosmetic services, federal prosecutors said.
Dekita Bellamy, 37, of Coral Springs, and Sheena Ceasar, 35, of Coconut Creek, were each sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman to prison for 32 months and 44 months, respectively, with each prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Altman also ordered forfeiture of their illicit profits and restitution of $82,151.50 for Ceasar and $94,968 for Bellamy. Both women previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
“Bellamy and Ceasar carried out the conspiracy by purloining personally identifiable information of unsuspecting victims, including names, social security numbers, and dates of birth, to apply for and receive credit cards,” prosecutors said in a written statement Thursday. “In addition to using the credit cards to purchase cosmetic services for themselves, defendants reaped ill-gotten gains by supplying the cards to co-conspirators so they could purchase expensive cosmetic services in exchange for a fee, which was typically half the value of the desired service.”
Seven other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty to federal felonies in connection with the scheme, prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, some of the local co-conspirators include:
Shenika Denise Myers, 37, of Lauderhill, pleaded guilty on September 3, 2021, to aggravated identity theft. She is awaiting sentencing.
Sayyada Samira Whiters, 33, of Coconut Creek, pleaded guilty on August 13, 2021, to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. She is awaiting sentencing.
Lucretia Ford, 31, of Coconut Creek, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and was sentenced to three years of probation on June 3, 2020.
Author Profile
- Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning crime journalist and author. A graduate of Florida International University, Kevin has worked on staff at The Miami Herald, New York Daily News, and The Palm Beach Post.
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