BOSTON – A gritty scheme to steal identities and max out fraudulent credit cards landed Haverhill woman Neida Lopez behind bars. The 45-year-old was sentenced on February 3, 2023, by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy Hillman to 28 months in prison for her role in the fraud.
Lopez, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in May 2022, was also hit with three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution. Her scheme, which involved co-conspirators, saw stolen identities used to apply for bank accounts and credit cards, totaling a staggering $452,000 in fraudulent SBA funds.
In February 2020, Lopez personally used stolen information from a U.S. citizen to open a checking account and obtain a credit card, maxing out the $20,000 limit. She was also responsible for laundering over $250,000 through the purchase of iPhones, which were re-sold for cash.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins led the investigation alongside Homeland Security Investigations, Massachusetts State Police, and local law enforcement. Edwin Acevedo, another co-conspirator, pleaded guilty on January 5, 2023, and is scheduled for sentencing on May 16, 2023.
The Task Force was established to combat pandemic-related fraud. Anyone with information about COVID-19 related fraud can report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via their web complaint form.
RELATED: Haverhill Woman Gets 28 Months for ID Theft Scam
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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