Prolific Fraudster Handed Latest Prison Sentence In 3-Decade History Of Deceit

LOS ANGELES, CA — An ex-con with convictions for fraud dating back almost 30 years was sentenced Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles to three years behind bars for possessing personal identifying information and mail that did not belong to her.

Maria Christina Hendricks, 53, whose last address outside of custody was in San Diego County, pleaded guilty in May 2023 to possession of unauthorized access devices and aggravated identity theft, papers filed in L.A. federal court show.

When arrested in February 2019, Hendricks had in her possession 52 Social Security numbers, 58 credit, debit and bank account numbers, and 179 pieces of mail that were not her own, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said she used personal identifying information belonging to one victim to open a Wells Fargo bank account, which she used to make illegal purchases and withdrawals. Hendricks was ordered Wednesday to pay nearly $7,000 is restitution.

Using aliases such as Maria Johnson, Gia Hendricks, Maria Christina Gia and Maria Hainka, Hendricks has been arrested and charged multiple times since 1997 for various forms of fraud and identity theft, authorities said.

In a prior case, a multi-agency task force arrested Hendricks in May 2016 on suspicion of stealing the personal information of men she met through dating and home rental websites.

Hendricks, then using the last name Johnson, "has no legitimate source of income and lists her occupation as a dog trainer, yet appeared to live the high-dollar lifestyle ... entirely off stolen identities," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a news release at the time.

During the probe, detectives determined that Hendricks would "capitalize on her physical attraction" to meet victims. Once she gained access to someone's home, she located their financial details and opened lines of credit without their permission, once even attempting to purchase a car using stolen credit information, the release stated.

"She would change their mailing address and assume the victim's identity," deputies said. "Once she gleaned information about the victim's personal connections, she moved on to steal the identities of their relatives and friends."

After assuming an identity, Hendricks moved into high-end hotels and charged thousands of dollars worth of goods and services, officials said.

When arrested nine years ago, she was a guest of a luxury, waterfront resort in Santa Barbara, and had spent more than $250,000 of victims' funds.

Court records show Hendricks pleaded no contest to a pair of identity theft-related charges in that case and was sentenced in April 2024 to three years in prison. She was apparently on parole at the time on a previous case, records show.

The defendant's first felony convictions came in 1997 in the state of Washington, where she served at least two years behind bars for identity theft. She eventually drifted southward, serving prison time in a Torrance case that included 11 felony counts of identity theft, grand theft and credit card fraud, according to the LASD.

She was also reportedly investigated in 2011 by Manhattan Beach police after she posed as the wealthy owner of a modeling agency and a member of NASCAR'S Hendrick Motorsports racing team family.

In a letter to the court prior to Wednesday's sentencing hearing, Hendricks expressed remorse.

"I'm tremendously sorry for the pain and suffering that I caused myself and others, however I have also learned to start healing myself and letting go of past, people, places, and moving forward with a new appreciation for myself and healthy choices," she wrote. "It's sad to say that at 53 years old I believe I finally had to break all the way down to start picking myself back up and openly admitting, 'I need help,' and I actively sought the help and have been doing the work that I need so that I can finally go live a normal, peaceful, and safe life moving forward."

City News Service