Orange county woman faces felony charges of theft of breast implants
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Date: Sat, 30 May 2009 Time: 12:00 AM
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HUNTINGTON BEACH - A Laguna Niguel woman accused of using a false identity to obtain breast implants from a plastic surgeon is facing felony charges of second-degree burglary, grand theft and identity theft, according to Orange County Superior Court records.
Yvonne Jean Pampellonne, 30, identified by police as the suspected "big-bust bandit," appeared in a Westminster court Wednesday for an arraignment but did not enter a plea, records show.
Pampellone faces three years and eight months in prison if convicted. She remains free on $20,000 bail and is due back in court on June 29.
Pampellone surrendered to police in March after detectives caught up with her using breast implant tracking numbers.
Police say the cosmetic surgery scheme apparently started in September 2008 when Pampellonne is suspected of using a stolen identity to open a line of credit. Detectives said she then is suspected of using the credit to get breast implants and other surgery -- $12,000 worth of services -- from Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery in Huntington Beach.
Pampellonne lied to her doctor and center staff about her name and other personal information, said Huntington Beach police Detective Larry Pitcher.
When Pampellonne failed to show up for follow-up appointments, employees at Pacific Center became suspicious and called police.
Breast implants are medical devices with tracking numbers that helped confirm Pampellonne's identity, officials said. When implants are inserted or removed, the numbers are recorded by medical staff and associated with the patient in case of problems. The numbers can also be used by coroners to help identify bodies.
On her MySpace page, Pampellonne talks about her young daughter. "Number one on my list. Setting an example for my daughter. Showing her there are better things in life."
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from the Orange County register
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