Memphis Woman Sentenced to Decade in Prison over Fraud and Identity Theft

A Memphis-based woman, Patricia Johnson, age 47, has been handed down a decade-long sentence in a federal correctional facility relating to charges of identity theft, bank fraud, and breaching the conditions of her supervised release.

Johnson, whose record is marked by a plethora of crimes, used impersonation as a tool to illegally access funds in the bank accounts of others, further solidifying her lengthy criminal history. It was disclosed that Johnson will serve 120 months in federal prison for committing the aforementioned crimes.

In a series of events that unfolded between May and June 2022, within the boundaries of West Tennessee, Johnson impersonated other individuals who shared her name, ‘Patricia Johnson’. These individuals victimized by Johnson’s fraudulent activities were legally associated with several bank accounts either as owners or authorized signers.

Utilizing this false identity, Johnson exploited an opportunity to gain unauthorized access to their funds. Johnson’s criminal activities involved acquiring sensitive personal data of the victims, such as their bank account details.

Having secured access to this privileged information, Johnson proceeded to extract cash from the victims’ bank accounts. The total amount of cash unlawfully obtained by Johnson during her fraudulent activities accumulated to over $50,000.

Prior to her most recent fraudulent operations, Johnson’s rap sheet extended to as far back as three decades. Over the course of the last 30 years, Johnson’s criminal endeavors have gained her multiple convictions for crimes of a serious nature, including but not limited to identity theft, theft, and fraud at both state and federal levels.

On May 16, 2024, Johnson entered a guilty plea, admitting to the charges levied against her in the Western District court of Tennessee. The course of legal proceedings resulted in her capitulation to a three-count indictment, which put forth one instance of bank fraud along with two counts of aggravated identity theft.

The imposition of Johnson’s sentence occurred on February 25, 2025. Her sentence in the federal prison system breaks down to a 106-month term for her charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, with an additional 14-month sentence for breaching the conditions of her supervised release from an earlier case.

Following the cessation of her incarceration, she will spend the next five years under monitored release. John’s sentence, therefore, includes both an extensive period of confinement and a subsequent period of supervised release.

It should be noted that the Federal penal system, where Johnson will serve her sentence, does not offer parole. Therefore, Johnson is mandated to serve her sentence in its entirety, as early release provisions are not provided by the federal penal code.