Published on: May 11, 2026, 06:59h.
Updated on: May 11, 2026, 06:59h.
- Ex-federal prosecutor accused of identity theft for online betting
- Plea agreement could lead to charges being dropped after two years of supervision
- Court documents suggest gambling account limits may have motivated the actions
A former federal prosecutor specializing in fraud from West Virginia has confessed to utilizing stolen identities to create accounts for online gambling.
Monica Dillon, a veteran assistant U.S. attorney in West Virginia’s Southern District, has been charged with five counts of identity theft, based on federal court records.
Having worked for nearly two decades in the office, she was involved in overseeing fraud-related prosecutions, as reported by WCHS.
From 2021 to 2024, Dillon spearheaded a task force investigating various forms of fraud, including health care fraud, tax fraud, and violations of civil rights. This timeframe coincides with the allegations of identity theft detailed by MetroNews.
Five Victims Identified
The case, initiated on April 22 in Charleston’s federal court, accuses Dillon of appropriating the names, Social Security numbers, and birth dates of five individuals from January 2021 through January 2023.
According to a fact statement included in Dillon’s plea agreement, she exploited the personal information of these victims to establish and manage online gambling accounts, conducting financial transactions in their names. Her winnings reportedly surpassed $1,000 over a year for several victims, as stated in the document.
Dillon has consented to plead guilty to all five counts of identity theft. However, this plea agreement allows for the dismissal of charges if she successfully completes 24 months of supervision and adheres to the agreement’s stipulations.
What Prompted Her Actions?
The court documents do not clarify why she jeopardized her career, license, and reputation by resorting to identity theft for online gambling.
It is often the case that gamblers turn to stolen identities when faced with bans from gambling platforms. Sportsbooks frequently impose bans or restrictions on users who engage in suspicious betting patterns, maintain multiple accounts, or consistently outperform the market over time.
Additionally, the practice of “bonus abuse” allows individuals to manipulate various accounts to rack up sign-up bonuses and promotional incentives provided to new users opening accounts and making initial deposits.
Since gambling websites prohibit individuals from having more than one account, such operations often depend on either stolen or synthetic identities to create accounts that appear to be legitimate.
Public records indicate that Dillon filed for bankruptcy in 2022, during the same timeframe when the alleged scheme was taking place.
She is slated to appear in court on Tuesday, where she is expected to officially enter her guilty pleas before an out-of-state judge.