Villeneuve Admits Role in $26M Fraud Scheme

GULFPORT, MS – Susan Ann Villeneuve, 61, of Escalon, California, has confessed to her central role in a sprawling international fraud network that bilked victims out of millions. The guilty plea, entered on May 15, 2017, comes after a years-long investigation that began in 2011 and culminated in sixteen arrests across multiple countries.

Villeneuve pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The operation, originating from a West African transnational organized crime enterprise, preyed on unsuspecting Americans through a variety of schemes: romance scams, re-shipping frauds, bogus check scams, and even fake work-from-home opportunities. Investigators also uncovered widespread bank and credit card account takeovers.

The case cracked open in October 2011 when a Mississippi woman came forward as a victim of a “sweetheart scam.” She’d received a package requesting she reship merchandise to an address in Pretoria, South Africa – merchandise purchased using stolen identities and fraudulent credit card numbers. That single report spiraled into a massive investigation revealing hundreds of victims nationwide, with losses totaling millions of dollars. Villeneuve wasn’t just a minor player; she was a key cog in the machine, responsible for sending over $26,000,000 in counterfeit checks via USPS, UPS, and FedEx to victims across the country.

Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Raymond Parmer, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of ICE-HSI New Orleans, announced the guilty plea. The investigation wasn’t a solo effort. A multi-agency task force, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, South African Police Service, Toronto Police, HSI Cyber Crimes Center, and Interpol South Africa, collaborated to dismantle the network. The sheer scope of the operation highlights the increasingly complex nature of international fraud.

Villeneuve now faces sentencing on August 22, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden in Gulfport. She’s looking at a maximum of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, and an additional two years for the aggravated identity theft. This case sends a clear message: those who facilitate these schemes, regardless of location, will be held accountable.

If you believe you may have been a victim of this fraud, or any of the other defendants involved, authorities urge you to contact the government at USAMSS.Scams@usdoj.gov. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams, alongside Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe of the Department of Justice Organized Crime and Gang Section, and Senior Counsel Peter Roman of the Computer Crimes Intellectual Property Section.