FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
September 8, 2015
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
AG ANNOUNCES THEFT CONVICTION IN ELMORE COUNTY
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange announced the conviction today
of a Lauderdale County man for first-degree theft by deception in a scheme to defraud victims
of credit card information. Barry Gene Holder, age 54, pleaded guilty this morning in Elmore
County Circuit Court. Sentencing is set for November 9.
According to information presented in court by the Attorney General’s Criminal Trials
Division, Holder and a co-defendant perpetrated the crime together. During the summer of
2013, Holder and Jonathon Sharpton were involved in a fraudulent use of credit card and
identity theft scheme. Sharpton, who pleaded guilty in June 2015, was incarcerated in Elmore
Correctional Facility, a state prison in Elmore, Alabama. Sharpton would obtain identification
and credit card information from individuals, order items from businesses using the stolen
credit card information, and then have the items picked up by people outside the prison.
Holder owned a pawn shop in Colbert County and, as part of the scheme, took some of the
illegally obtained merchandise for sale at his business and some for his personal use. Multiple
businesses in several counties had property illegally acquired from them.
“The manner by which this information was obtained is particularly disturbing, and
demonstrates how vital it is that consumers be vigilant about their credit card and identification
information,” said Attorney General Strange. According to information from prosecutors,
Sharpton obtained a cell phone and made calls from the prison. One of the schemes was to call a
hotel, ask for a certain room number, and then when the guest answered, he would claim to be
from the front desk and tell them their credit card had not gone through and he needed the
number again. “The defendant Barry Holder was an active participant in the theft, by taking
property that he knew had been stolen. I am pleased that my Criminal Trials Division was able
to put an end to these treacherous acts and that these men will be punished for their crimes.”
Attorney General Strange commended Assistant Attorneys General John Hensley and
Bill Lisenby of his Criminal Trials Division and Special Agents of his Investigations Division.
He also thanked the Sheffield Police Department for its role in investigating this matter.
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501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
