Ashley Nicole Leyba, Bank Fraud, California 2017

Ashley Nicole Leyba, aka Ashley Nicole Schlichting, 27, of Roseville, California, has pleaded guilty to a brazen bank fraud scheme that left victims in the dark.

Between September 15, 2016 and February 3, 2017, Leyba carried out an identity theft scheme in order to defraud banks and credit unions in the Sacramento area.

According to court documents, she obtained stolen mail from victims and opened credit card accounts and lines of credit using the financial and identification information found in the stolen mail.

Leyba created notebooks, which she labeled ‘THINK BIG’ and ‘STAY OUT,’ to organize the names, addresses and personal information of the mail theft victims.

With the stolen credit cards, Leyba made purchases at several stores, including Wal-Marts in Sacramento and Rocklin, Kohls in Citrus Heights, Foot Locker in Roseville, Lowes in Rancho Cordova, and other stores in Sacramento and Placer counties.

Leyba was arrested on February 13, 2017, and in her plea agreement, she admits that while in custody, she instructed associates to destroy stolen identification and financial information that she had in her residence.

This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Sacramento County Probation Office, and the Citrus Heights Police Department.

Leyba is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on June 23, 2017.

Leyba faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud, a mandatory two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, and five years in prison for possession of stolen U.S. Mail.

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