Miramar woman guilty of using phony debit cards for money orders at Publix stores

MIAMI – A South Florida woman has been found guilty of using phony debit cards to obtain thousands of dollars' worth of money orders at Publix grocery stores in Miami-Dade County.

Marletta Knowles, 26, of Miramar, was convicted last month of access device fraud and aggravated battery after a two-day trial in federal court.

Federal prosecutors said Knowles used the fraudulent debit cards to obtain $3,000 in money orders at Publix stores in Miami-Dade County between December 2014 and February 2015. The cards used the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of two victims.

Knowles faces as much as 18 years in prison when she is sentenced Oct. 7.