SEATTLE, WASHINGTON (BNO NEWS) – A woman was sentenced Friday in Seattle, Washington to over four years in prison for her part in an identity theft criminal ring that victimized forty-two people which totaled over $125,000 in damages.

Valorie A. Dade, 59, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced today in court to fifty-one months in prison and a restitution of $34,338 for her part in bank fraud, social security number misuses, and aggravated identity theft. In response to the long sentence issued, the US District Judge cited Dade’s “overwhelming criminal history.”

Dade was involved in an extensive identity theft ring that targeted retailers around the Puget Sound region. The group used identities provided by the ring leader, Jeania Dyson, Dade and others would open credit accounts at large retailers. If the account was successfully opened, Dade and others would rapidly deploy to other outlets of the retailer and purchase thousands of dollars worth of products from a list provided by Dyson. Dyson would then sell the goods on the black market or provide them as payment to other members of the ring. Forty-two victims had their identities stolen, the ring made over $125,000 in charges.

A US Attorney asked for significant sentences for each of the defendants in this case, noting that the damage the ID theft did to the victims “destroyed the credit of hard working citizens in just a matter of days.” He finished by saying that “Ms. Dade’s crimes robbed the affected individuals of their hard work and good credit.”

The ringleader of the scheme is scheduled to be sentenced in May of this year.