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LA Community College Student Pleads Not Guilty To Identity Theft Charges

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A West Los Angeles Community College student pleaded not guilty Monday to using fraudulently obtained credit card numbers and identities to pay tuition at the school, among other things, according to the district attorney's office.

Reon Jordan, 34, is charged with 21 counts of identity theft, three counts of multiple identifying information theft and one count each of grand theft of personal property and second-degree commercial burglary. She's being held in lieu of $1.2 million bail and is due back in court April 1.

Jordan was arrested March 4 following a nine-month investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Community College Bureau.

"The suspect was allegedly using fraudulently obtained credit card numbers and identities to purchase gift receipts on campus," Deputy Kim Manatt of the sheriff's Headquarters Bureau said. "She would then use these gift receipts to pay for classes she was enrolled in at the college."

Manatt added, "The investigation has revealed that Jordan afforded herself hair extensions, clothing, jewelry and airline tickets to Alaska with her proceeds from the scheme."

Jordan reportedly obtained her victim's information through her prior employment at ABEO, a medical billing company with offices in Pasadena.

"She had been employed by the company since 2008, where she potentially had access to thousands of client identity profiles," Manatt said.

At the time of her arrest, Jordan had more than 400 identity profiles and 200 credit card numbers for other victims in her possession, according to authorities.

Victims of the scheme have been located in Los Angeles, Torrance, Santa Monica, Topanga, Malibu, Mammoth Lakes, Tennessee and Mississippi.

Detectives believe there may be other possible victims.

Anyone who may have information about the incident should contact the sheriff's Community College Bureau at (323) 669-7555.

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LA College Student Allegedly Defrauds Victims To Pay For Tuition, Hair Extensions And More

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