Defendants sentenced in identity theft case

ST. LOUIS -- The last of four Kansas City-area people convicted of federal identity theft counts has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh sentenced Hershel Timley, 27, on Monday. Earlier this month, Yolanda Whitmire, 32, was ordered to spend six months in prison, and co-defendants Pamela Kirtdoll and Bobby Stewart, 37, each were sentenced to 18 months behind bars. Jan Diltz, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office, was unable to provide specific hometowns for the four.

Each defendant also was ordered to pay $168,000 restitution.

The four pleaded guilty last November to conspiring to violate statutes to use false identification to obtain credit. The government said the defendants used stolen Social Security numbers last August to open charge accounts at Sears and Target stores in the St. Louis area.