‘Operation Nip Tuck' credit card scheme ringleader convicted of fraud

ORLANDO, Fla. — A 28-year-old woman charged with masterminding a scheme to use stolen identities to pay for tens of thousands of dollars worth of plastic surgery and dental work has been convicted of fraud.

Terilyn Riggins was arrested in January 2016 as part of Operation Nip-Tuck, which netted more than a dozen other arrests, officials said

Riggins was the one who set up the fraudulent accounts and lines of credit using stolen identities from at least 12 people, her arrest warrant said.

Police said the group of women involved in the scheme took advantage of the scheme to get everything from breast implants to gold teeth.

In all, medical businesses and credit companies were taken for nearly $200,000, investigators said.

Detectives said most of the victims were between 20 and 24 years old.

They started receiving bills in the mail saying they owed thousands of dollars in medical bills.

Detective Todd Herb spent months working to uncover the fraud scheme.

Workers at Paradise Dental eventually figured out one of the women was using someone else’s information and contacted police.

Herb said on top of the dental work, the woman also got breast implants using stolen credit.

Police said another woman had liposuction done with stolen credit information.

“Constantly, you would see them on Facebook and Instagram showing their pictures just a few days after their surgery,” Herb said at the time of the arrests.

Riggins received a thigh lift and scar cream treatments in 2015 and had dental work done at a Seminole County business, officials said.

The 28-year-old was convicted on four charges in the case; she pleaded not guilty to six other charges.

Cox Media Group