Fresno woman ran up $100,000 in charges on fake credit card. She now faces 10 years in prison

A Fresno woman was in federal court on Friday on charges that she used a fake credit card to rack up $100,000 worth of purchases and cash advances under someone with a similar name.

Alena Nicole George, 43, pleaded guilty to access device fraud and now faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

George was accused of fraudulently opening a credit card using the identity of someone with a name similar to her own. Over three months in 2019, she used the card to make purchases at national retailers and withdraw cash advances at a national bank, the Justice Department said.

She was indicted and taken into custody by the FBI last year.

At the time, the FBI said George had worked as an assistant manager at the Walmart near Clovis and Herndon avenues, though the company said none of the charges were connected to Walmart or her work for the store.

She originally faced 30 years in prison and $1 million fine for bank fraud as well as the 10 years and a $250,000 for the unauthorized credit card use. Her sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21.