Anchorage Woman Caged for Check Fraud Scheme

Victoria Kosetatino, 25, of Anchorage, is headed to federal prison for 42 months after being sentenced in a brazen check fraud and identity theft scheme that preyed on victims of burglary and mail theft. The conviction marks the latest chapter in a pattern of criminal behavior that began almost immediately after her release from a prior sentence for similar crimes.

Kosetatino was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, who ordered full restitution and slammed the defendant as a ‘serial fraudster’ with no regard for prior punishment or public trust. The judge emphasized the broader danger posed not just by the fraud, but by the violent nature of the original thefts—vehicle break-ins, home burglaries, and stolen mail—that supplied the stolen checks.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward, Kosetatino conspired with Jeremy Tamapolu to forge and negotiate stolen checks at banks and grocery stores across Anchorage. The duo opened fraudulent bank accounts under stolen identities to deposit and cash the checks, laundering nearly $9,000 between December 2015 and April 2016. The crimes began just one month after Kosetatino was released from state custody for identical offenses.

Federal prosecutors painted a picture of relentless criminal enterprise—systematic, calculated, and indifferent to consequences. The stolen checks, often taken during property crimes, were altered and passed with forged endorsements, exploiting gaps in retail and banking verification processes. Victims not only lost money but were thrust into the nightmare of identity theft recovery, a ripple effect the court did not ignore.

U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler, who oversaw the case, credited the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Anchorage Police Department for their dogged investigation that dismantled the scheme. Authorities say the collaboration between local and federal agencies was critical in linking the fraudulent transactions to the perpetrators through surveillance, financial tracing, and forensic evidence.

Jeremy Tamapolu, Kosetatino’s co-conspirator, remains unconvicted and is scheduled to stand trial on March 6, 2017. As Anchorage grapples with a surge in property and identity crimes, this case stands as a stark warning: exploit the system repeatedly, and the federal hammer will fall hard.

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