Steven Mesrop, PPE Scheme, Oklahoma 2024

OKLAHOMA CITY — In a major blow to pandemic-related fraud, Steven Mesrop, 30, Mirna Mahrouz Habib, 25, Karin Treister, 25, and Dijon Cornelius Shepard, 28, were each sentenced to serve 104 months in federal prison for their roles in a $3.5 million scheme involving the fraudulent acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPE). The quartet was also ordered to pay nearly $3.5 million in restitution.

The Task Force uncovered the elaborate plot after co-conspirators used stolen credit card information from 52 cards to purchase over $678,000 worth of tickets for Oklahoma State University athletic events. The defendants further targeted U.S.-based businesses selling pandemic supplies during the COVID-19 crisis. For detailed information on this case, visit here.

Additionally, Alfred Smith, 37, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $246,606.50 for committing access device fraud using debit cards issued by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) during the pandemic.

In another case, Andrice Sainvil, 20, of Margate, Florida, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $26,699.80 for conspiring with others to steal the identities of Oklahomans to apply for fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits, leading to the issuance of prepaid debit cards that were fraudulently cashed out.

Jill Nicole Ford, 31, of Edmond, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty on January 20, 2022, to bank fraud and money laundering for obtaining a loan through the Main Street Lending Program under false pretenses. Ford’s fraudulent actions have not been fully detailed in public records but highlight the vulnerabilities of federal relief programs.

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