Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Virginia woman pleads guilty to wire fraud in federal court.

A woman from Virginia has admitted to her role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, officials announced today. Deborah Diana Lawson, 60, of Raven, Va., waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in District Court to a one-count information charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to evidence presented at today’s guilty plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer, in or around March 2015, Lawson’s co-conspirator caused a fraudulent tax return refund to be sent via wire to Lawson’s bank account in Russell County, Virginia. Lawson then caused proceeds of the tax return refund to be sent via wire transfer from the Western District of Virginia to an account in Buffalo, New York.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.

Lawson’s guilty plea was accepted by United States District Judge James P. Jones, who scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. Lawson faces penalties including a fine and imprisonment, officials said.

The Western District of Virginia’s efforts to combat white-collar crime continue to yield results, officials said. The district has seen numerous successful prosecutions in recent years, including a high-profile case involving a conspiracy to commit tax evasion.

Lawson’s case is a reminder that law enforcement agencies are working tirelessly to identify and prosecute individuals who engage in financial crimes, officials said.

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