PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles woman convicted of four counts of second-degree identity theft Jan. 12 has been sentenced to four months in jail, Clallam County prosecutors announced Thursday.
Heather N. O’Hara, 23, was sentenced Wednesday in Clallam County Superior Court.
A Clallam County jury found that O’Hara used a stolen credit card to make several purchases at the Sequim Walmart Supercenter, Rite Aid and J.C. Penney over the course of 14 hours last April, prosecutors said.
Sequim police alleged in court documents that O’Hara made $1,157 in purchases at several businesses April 28 and April 29.
Sequim Police Officer Anthony Bush used surveillance video from the Sequim Walmart to develop probable cause that O’Hara was a suspect, court papers said. Another officer recognized O’Hara in the video, the papers said.
According to testimony in the two-day trial, O’Hara bought clothing, a cellphone and charger, gift cards and other items totaling more than $1,000, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steve Johnson said in a news release.
In a statement to Bush, O’Hara admitted to making the purchases but claimed that a family friend had gone to Walmart with her and given her the card to buy what she wanted, Johnson said.
At trial, Johnson presented evidence that O’Hara made more than $200 in purchases at Walmart before she returned to Walmart with the friend, according to the release.
O’Hara was arrested without incident May 29. She was released from the county jail after her initial court appearance.
A fifth count of second-degree identity theft that was originally filed against O’Hara was dismissed, court papers said.
O’Hara had misdemeanor convictions for assault, malicious mischief and making a false statement to law enforcement, Johnson said. Her presumptive sentencing range was four to 12 months, he added.
Based on her offender score, Johnson recommended a six-month jail sentence for O’Hara, according to the minutes of the sentencing hearing.
Defense attorney Loren Oakley of Clallam Public Defender recommended a 60-day sentence with 30 days converted to community custody.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Erik Rohrer sentenced O’Hara to four months and ordered her to report to the county jail Wednesday, court papers said.
O’Hara will not be required to serve community custody after her release.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
