A Duncanville woman who confessed to stealing the identities of 78 people was sentenced to 38 years in prison Monday in what authorities are calling one of the biggest identity-theft cases against a single person in the Dallas area.

Furnioes Giddings Parker, 42, stole tens of thousands of dollars through people's credit cards while working at fast-food restaurants such as Braum's, Whataburger and Luby's Cafeteria, Duncanville police Detective Ralph Woods said.

She also stole the identities of 14 elderly people while working as a dietitian aide at C.C. Young, a retirement community near White Rock Lake.

"You can't order restitution for someone's credit history," prosecutor David Pitcher told the judge during Monday's sentence hearing. "This is a case where she deserves a number of years, because as soon as she gets out, you know what she's going to do."

With the stolen information, Mrs. Parker obtained credit cards, cellphones and gift cards.

This wasn't Mrs. Parker's first run-in with the law for fraud. She was convicted of stealing the identities of 26 people in 1994 and given probation. Two years later, she served 180 days in jail for violating that probation.

But a legislative change that went into effect in September makes it a first-degree felony to fraudulently have or use more than 50 kinds of identifying information – including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and account information.

A search of Mrs. Parker's Duncanville home last year turned up 225 personal identifiers for at least 78 people. There were also credit-card numbers and other information written on the backs of receipts that police were unable to connect to any victims, Detective Woods said during the hearing.

Mrs. Parker's confession gave state District Judge Andy Chatham the ability to consider a punishment range of probation to life in prison. Judge Chatham decided on 38 years after hearing about an hour's worth of testimony Monday. Mrs. Parker will be eligible for parole after serving 9 1/2 years.

Before the change in the law went into effect last year, Mrs. Parker would have faced at most a state-jail felony, which is generally punishable by 180 days to two years in jail.

"The old mindset when it was a state-jail felony was that it's just an identity theft," Detective Woods said, adding that the possibility of lengthier sentences could make some criminals think twice before taking people's identities.

Lakrisha Giddings, Mrs. Parker's daughter, was the only person to testify on her behalf. She said her mother has been caring for eight kids – ages 15 to 27 – including one with special needs.

"She didn't mean to harm nobody. At the time she was in need," Ms. Giddings said while wiping tears from her face.

For Mrs. Parker's victims, that's little solace.

Amanda Byars was preparing for her mother's burial when she received a call from Detective Woods, who told her that her mother, Ellen Byars, had been the victim of identity theft while she was at C.C. Young.

"She was honest to the core," said Amanda Byars, adding that her mother raised her to maintain your word and your name. "This was a slap on her whole life."

Stephen Toon's stepmother, Olive, is a resident at C.C. Young receiving care for Alzheimer's disease. Credit cards and electric accounts were established in her name, even though she hasn't been completely aware of her surroundings in more than five years, Mr. Toon said. Some of the creditors even accused him of opening the accounts, he said.

"I think it's disgraceful that someone did this to her," Mr. Toon said. "I just can't imagine the need to steal from someone who is helpless."