Jessica M. Teixeira, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, New Hampshire 2017

A Massachusetts woman has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for orchestrating a fraudulent investment scheme that defrauded two New Hampshire investors out of $296,250.

Jessica M. Teixeira, 41, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering charges related to the scheme, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray today.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between December 2015 and November 2017, Teixeira defrauded the two New Hampshire investors by selling them a series of securities that she claimed were guaranteed to generate high rates of return.

Teixeira represented herself as a solicitor of high-yield investment funds with connections to investment groups raising funds associated with domestic and foreign real estate developments, who solicited financing through private investors rather than banks. However, Teixeira's claims about being connected to high-level investment groups were false.

The investment contracts and notes she sold were worthless and generated no returns. Teixeira simply converted the invested funds to her own personal use and benefit, without returning any of the invested funds.

Teixeira was ordered to pay restitution of $296,250 to her victims, who lost a total of $296,250 as a result of the scheme. U.S. Attorney Murray stated, 'The defendant's criminal pursuit of self-interest inflicted a substantial loss on two victims. She used a series of false promises to take advantage of her victims and steal their funds.'

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Davis and Anna Dronzek.

Teixeira pleaded guilty on March 13, 2019, and was sentenced today in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire. She will serve 41 months in prison followed by supervised release.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nh/pr/massachusetts-woman-sentenced-41-months-orchestrating-fraudulent-investment-scheme