IF YOU EVER DECIDE TO STEAL FROM SPRINT - PLEASE DON'T USE YOUR SPRINT PHONE TO CALL THEM!

LaShay Cherokee Simmons

A Houston woman is getting a lot of time behind bars after making a fatal error in her scheme to defraud the cellular company Sprint.

That mistake?  She apparently used her own personal cellphone.

According to the Secret Service in Houston, 22 year old LaShay Simmons made multiple fraudulent purchases of Sprint phones using legitimate businesses names.

Prosecutors say Simmons placed more than 250 orders for cellphones from Sprint.  She would hit the company up for 10 to 20 phones each time.

The total value of her alleged theft is expected to be at $493,000.

Sprint officials said Simmons would call and place the order to be shipped to the legitimate businesses' addresses.  But those workers say she would call back minutes later and switch the address.

So how did they catch this crafty 22 year old?  Simmons, a Sprint customer, used her own cellphone to place the orders.  It wasn't too difficult for investigators to 'trace' her identity to a Sprint account.  Can you hear me now?

Simmons entered a guilty pleas today and faces 10 years in federal prison!