Mom convicted of fraud for opening credit cards in children's' names

Port Huron mom found guilty of identity theft

PORT HURON, Mich. – Nicole Burkholder, 33, of Port Huron, will spend the next seven months in jail, followed by 18 months of probation for identity theft.

Burkholder is accused of opening up credit cards, and lines of credit in the names of her children and changing their birth dates so they would appear to be in their thirties. Her son is 10 and daughter is 5.

"She didn't seem to care that stealing her kids' identities and running up credit card bills in their name could ruin their credit before they were old enough to go to high school," said her ex-husband, David Burkholder.

Sally Thomas, Nicole Burkholder's mother, defended her daughter at sentencing. She said she hoped the judge would show mercy, saying that "she was desperate."

In addition to using her children to rack up credit card bills, Nicole Burkholder defrauded Social Security of more than $700 a month by falsely claiming her daughter's had a rare undefined skin disease.

At sentencing, Nicole Burkholder's attorney announced she has cancer, has been receiving treatment, and that they found out late last week that treatment has been unsuccessful and the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes.

Judge Cynthia A. Lane, of the 31st Circuit Court, found that hard to believe, adjourning sentencing for two weeks and asking for documentation.

"I have no reason to believe she's being truthful to me," the judge said. "We got a person here who has a history of, frankly, lying about medical conditions."

Burkholder returned to court 14 days later without a doctor's note or any proof of illness.

"I ask for justice for her own children that are supposed to be able to look to their mother for guidance, and protection and not be viewed as not just another way for Nicole to obtain money she didn't earn," said David Burkholder.