Pittsburgh Review

A resident of Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal fraud laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Jonathan Fry, 44, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone on September 9, 2024, to one count of fraudulently using credit cards that were issued to another person.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that from November 2018 to November 2019, Fry fraudulently used unauthorized access devices—specifically, credit cards in the name of the victim and the victim’s personal identification information, including social security number and birthdate—to make purchases. After opening accounts and applying for credit cards in the victim’s name without her authorization, Fry used the credit cards to purchase multiple items, making minimum payments toward the credit card balances so that he could continue to use the cards. Throughout this period, he charged tens of thousands of dollars worth of purchases, including a firearm worth more than $1,000.

Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for January 9, 2024. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to Fry's prosecution.