NORTH COAST, Calif. – A woman with numerous identity theft cases around the North Coast and Bay Area has reached a plea agreement with Sonoma County prosecutors.
Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said Denise Hankins, 42, entered a plea to 20 different felony charges, all relating to identity theft involving numerous victims, on Nov. 16.
Ravitch said Hankins obtained her victims’ information mostly through stolen mail and by stealing wallets. Hankins then used that information to open bank accounts and store accounts.
Hankins was arrested in September of this year after a joint investigation by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department and the Calistoga Police Department, according to Ravitch’s office.
Hankins’ victims and crimes range from Sonoma County to Calistoga and into the East Bay, where she is currently on probation for a forgery conviction out of Alameda County, Ravitch said.
As part of the agreement, Hankins stipulated to a prison term of 15 years and six months. Ravitch said the court indicated that it will likely impose that sentence as 10 years in custody with five years, six months to be served on mandatory supervision.
Hankins will be sentenced formally on Jan. 30, 2013, at 9 a.m. in Department 13 by the Honorable Robert LaForge.
Deputy District Attorney Amy Ariyoshi prosecuted the case.