Check forger guilty again in ID theft crime spree
Mother faces a minimum 10 years in prison
Lillian Hussein went from shoplifting to stealing other people's identities and writing fraudulent checks, until she got caught. She was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to five years' probation.
Three years later, while still on probation, Hussein, 38, was back at it again.
Hussein pleaded guilty in Circuit Court yesterday to more than 25 felonies in nine separate cases, including second- and fourth-degree theft, second-degree forgery and second- and third-degree identity theft.
"I'm taking full responsibility for my actions. ... I trust and believe in God," she said, her voice wavering as she responded to questions from Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario.
According to prosecutors, Hussein used stolen military IDs and fake IDs and forged numerous checks to purchase a $25,000 truck and a used Lexus last December. She also embarked on numerous shopping sprees at the Waikele Premium Outlet, Costco, Kmart and a furniture store during the first three months of this year. The proceeds included $4,000 worth of jewelry and $3,500 worth of goods from Costco.
It took a forged $20 check at Kmart to trip her up and result in her arrest in March, said Deputy Prosecutor Melissa Karlen.
But for an alert cashier, Hussein would still be up to her old tricks, Karlen said.
"She's like the poster child for identity theft," said Deputy Prosecutor Marvin Rampey, who prosecuted Hussein in 2003. "My prediction was she was going to continue what she was doing, and look what happened."
In 2003, Hussein asked for leniency from the court, saying she wanted to take care of her children and had a drug problem.
Rampey opposed a deferral back then, arguing that her crimes graduated from spur-of-the-moment shoplifting to forgery and identity theft -- crimes that took of a lot of thought, preparation and planning.
"The best thing that happened is she got caught," he said. "She's definitely somebody we need off the streets."
Prosecutors do not know where and how Hussein got hold of the stolen or fake IDs, but she used them to apply for loans or write checks for tons of purchases, from jewelry to self-storage spaces to cars, said Karlen.
"This is someone who's doing this as a career, a lifestyle," Karlen said. "She's stealing people's identities, and this is how she's supporting herself -- which is why it's so important to hold her accountable for those actions."
It is especially important during the holiday season that people keep track of their ID and credit cards, and not leave them in their cars, Karlen added.
Hussein's attorney, Emmanuel Guerrero, said he had advised his client to plead no contest to the charges after reviewing all the evidence against her. It was Hussein's decision to plead guilty, although Del Rosario said he would treat a no-contest plea the same as a guilty plea.
"It's a reflection of her change," Guerrero said later. "You saw her demeanor -- very, very sincere."
The state is expected to ask that she be sentenced to consecutive and extended terms. Because she is a repeat offender, she is subject to a 10-year mandatory minimum term. She could receive up to 20 years if the court grants extended terms.
Hussein will be sentenced on Valentine's Day.