SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a shocking admission of guilt, 27-year-old Ashley Nicole Leyba, also known as Ashley Nicole Schlichting from Roseville, has pleaded guilty to bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of stolen mail. United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced the charges.
Court documents reveal that between September 15, 2016, and February 3, 2017, Leyba executed an elaborate identity theft scheme to defraud banks and credit unions. She stole mail from victims, using the financial and identification information to open numerous credit card accounts and lines of credit. Leyba meticulously organized this stolen data in notebooks labeled “THINK BIG” and “STAY OUT.”
According to the plea agreement, Leyba used these fraudulent credit cards to purchase goods at various stores in Sacramento and Placer counties, including Wal-Marts, Kohls, Foot Locker, and Lowe’s. Her face was caught on surveillance during several of these transactions.
Leyba was apprehended on February 13, 2017. In a twist, she instructed associates to destroy stolen identification and financial information while in custody. One associate was arrested for driving while intoxicated, and during the vehicle search, some of Leyba’s stolen mail was recovered before it was destroyed.
This investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service with support from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Sacramento County Probation Office, and the Citrus Heights Police Department.
Leyba is set to be sentenced on June 23, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. The defendant faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud, a mandatory two years for aggravated identity theft, and five years for possession of stolen U.S. Mail.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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