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Farmville Woman Guilty of Bank Fraud in $468K Scheme
A 51-year-old Farmville woman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with a scheme to cash a stolen check for nearly half a million dollars.
Pia Lawson, the former CEO and CFO of a fake company called The Solutionz GA, Inc., admitted to her role in the conspiracy during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Richmond.
According to court documents, a North Carolina business issued a check for $468,477.13 to a subcontractor, Summit Solutionz, Inc., on September 21, 2021. The check was stolen by members of the conspiracy and deposited into a business checking account opened by Lawson.
Lawson, who was named CEO and CFO of The Solutionz GA, Inc. in Georgia, then depleted the fraudulently obtained funds through a series of financial transactions and transfers between October and November 2021. This included the transfer of $65,000 to her personal checking account.
Lawson faces up to 30 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2025. While the maximum sentence is 30 years, actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Day is prosecuting the case. The investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from other law enforcement agencies.
A copy of the plea agreement and related court documents can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Lawson’s guilty plea is the latest in a string of high-profile bank fraud cases in the region.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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