Loan and Passport Scam Lands Philly Woman Behind Bars

Philly Woman Charged with Loan and Passport Fraud

A 36-year-old woman from Philadelphia has been charged with loan application fraud, passport fraud, falsely representing to be a United States citizen, and aggravated identity theft.

Maria DeJesus-Guzman, a native and citizen of Mexico, allegedly made false representations about her identity to obtain a home equity loan and line of credit from Bank of America, N.A., and a United States passport.

According to authorities, DeJesus-Guzman claimed her name was ‘W.A.A.,’ her date of birth was in 1970, and her social security number ended with 5120, in order to secure the loan and passport.

The indictment also alleges that DeJesus-Guzman falsely represented that she was born in Puerto Rico and, therefore, a United States citizen.

If convicted, DeJesus-Guzman faces a total maximum sentence of 43 years imprisonment, a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence, five years supervised release, $1,750,000 fine, and $400 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the United States State Department Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita Eve.

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