HARTFORD, Conn. — A Philadelphia man who authorities say crawled along movie theater floors to steal credit cards from women’s purses has been sentenced in federal court in Connecticut to 16 years in prison.

Anthony Johnson was convicted last year of multiple counts of credit card theft and identity theft.

Prosecutors say the 50-year-old Johnson stole credit cards from moviegoers at theaters in Greenwich, Fairfield and Colchester between 2008 and 2010.

Authorities say he and female accomplices would then use sophisticated computer equipment to make fake driver’s licenses with the victim’s name and an accomplice’s photo. They then used the stolen credit cards to buy tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of clothing, jewelry and electronics, and for gambling.

Johnson also was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation upon release.


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