A homeless man who was the mastermind behind a massive credit card scheme will spend the next four years behind bars.
Trace Jevon Jones, known on the streets as “Million Dollar,” ran an elaborate scam in Los Angeles that brought in over half a million dollars. Between November 2016 and July 2018, Jones recruited accomplices to contact American Express and pose as actual cardholders who’d lost their credit cards. Jones and his group would then track the shipment of the replacement cards and intercept them before they made it to the actual customer. Once they got their hands on the cards, they’d then go spend thousands in high-end stores. The group spent over $100,000 in Barney’s, another $90,000 in Goyard, and thousands more in Gucci, Fendi, Christian Louboutin, and Balenciaga. The pack sold most of their lavish steals online, bringing in over $520,000 before Jones’s 2019 arrest.
While Jones’ attorneys admitted that he taught his co-conspirators how to carry on the scheme, it was merely a survival tactic since he’d been homeless since he was a teenager.
Jones pleaded guilty in September 2020 to one federal count each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Monday, the 33-year-old received 48-months behind bars and was ordered to pay American Express over $521,000.
His accomplices, Terry Ellis Jr. and Davion Raymone Ellis, were sentenced to two years and three years after pleading guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges.
Cherelle Daire Beal and Miranda Clare Hensley were given credit for time served and must complete three years of supervised release. Another defendant, Jonathan Randall Ross, will be sentenced in a few weeks.
