Feds indict sisters from Snohomish County for card theft
Published 2:33 pm Wednesday, June 10, 2026
EVERETT — Two sisters from Snohomish County are facing federal charges for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars in gift cards and debit cards across Western Washington.
The 34 and 30-year-old women have both pleaded not guilty to a 16-count indictment in U.S. District Court in Seattle, according to a release from the Department of Justice.
The women are accused of committing wire fraud and identity theft during a widespread scheme from 2023 to 2024, the release said.
The suspects would allegedly load gift cards they never purchased to their smart phones, then use the gift card balances to buy merchandise at the national retail chain and later return the products for cash value or sold the items to others, the federal indictment said.
The pair is believed to have defrauded the retailer of more than $80,000 across stores in Snohomish, Pierce and King counties, according to the DOJ.
During the same time, the women allegedly used stolen debit cards to buy hundreds of dollars in products, charging documents said.
The Lynnwood Police Department investigated the case along with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“What began as a municipal investigation ultimately revealed criminal activity that extended beyond the scope and jurisdiction of a single agency,” Lynnwood Police Chief Coleman Langdon said in the release. “Through close coordination with federal authorities, investigators were able to leverage additional resources, expertise, and prosecutorial capabilities to pursue a more comprehensive response to the criminal conduct involved.”
At the time of her arrest, the 30-year-old suspect allegedly had identity information for several people in her possession, according to the DOJ.
She is also facing charges for unlawful possession of a firearm after being found with two handguns in 2024, the release said. She has previous felony convictions in Snohomish County that prevent her from owning a gun.
The woman is being held in jail until trial, officials said. The 34-year-old suspect was released on her personal recognizance.
The indictment includes charges for both women on multiple counts of wire fraud for the gift card and debit card scheme, as well as aggravated identity theft for using someone else’s information during the debit card purchases, the DOJ said.
“As alleged in the indictment, these two defendants cut a wide swath of fraud in Snohomish County,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said in a release. “We put a priority on assisting local law enforcement who are struggling to put a stop to persistent offenders who continue to commit crimes despite local arrests.”
A wire fraud conviction includes a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, while identity theft includes a minimum of a two-year sentence, according to the release.
Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3097; ian.davis-leonard@heraldnet.com
