INDIANAPOLIS – Reina Isom, 47, a serial scammer from Gainesville, Florida, has been locked up for 30 months after swindling the Department of Education out of $930,000 in federal financial aid. The defendant, who previously conned her way through two convictions for fraud, was sentenced to follow this term with two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $348,148 in restitution.
Isom’s decade-long con game involved duping the Department of Education by enrolling accomplices in online colleges using their personal information. She then filled out Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms with false income data to boost aid awards. The excess funds were funneled into accounts she controlled, netting her over $340,000.
Her scheme didn’t stop at filling in FAFSA forms; Isom also kept the charade going by completing coursework for these ‘students,’ often copying and pasting assignments from previous terms.
Isom’s fraud spree involved 50+ fraudulent FAFSA applications for over a dozen people, leading to $930,000 in aid being fraudulently dispersed. Her previous convictions included arson with intent to defraud and fraud related to enrolling fake students at the University of Phoenix.
‘Federal financial aid programs are meant to provide opportunities for those who might not otherwise have them,’ said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. ‘Isom’s actions robbed these chances from individuals in underserved communities.’
Scott Wingle, Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General, praised the efforts of law enforcement in bringing Isom to justice and vowed to continue tackling student aid fraud rings.
RELATED: Reina Isom: 30 Months for $930K Student Aid Scam
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Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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