Birmingham woman sentenced to more than three years in prison for bank fraud and identity theft

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – A federal judge in Mobile has been sentenced to 39 months in prison for bank fraud and identity theft involving an elderly Baldwin County woman, the Justice Department announced.

Valnica Strong Garner, 41, stole checks from the mailbox of a 94-year-old Baldwin County woman and forged them last November to buy more than $1,000 worth of merchandise at Walmart stores in Bay Minette and Daphne, according to court documents.

Then in December, Garner used the victim’s forged checks to buy $400 worth of items at a Walmart in Chelsea, Ala.

When he was arrested on Jan. 21, Garner was in possession of stolen Social Security cards from eight different people and stolen checks, court documents show.

When she committed these crimes, she had already been released on federal supervision, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama. From 2003 to 2020, she had five prior federal convictions in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama for check forgery, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and two counts of mail theft, officials said.

In Mobile, Senior U.S. District Judge Callie VS Granade ordered Garner to serve five years of supervised release following her 39-month sentence. She must also undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment and will be subject to credit restrictions, as well as drug testing and treatment. In addition, Garner must pay $1,034.65 in victim restitution and $200 in special assessments.

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