Anchorage Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Fraud Scheme Using More Than 170 Stolen Identities
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - An Anchorage woman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft carried out with more than 170 stolen identities. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska announced the sentence on November 10, and restitution to the victims was also ordered.
According to court documents, between February 2021 and February 2022, Dusty Starr, 48, carried out a scheme involving mail theft, identity theft, fraudulent email and financial accounts, forged checks, and false applications for COVID rental relief funds. She possessed more than 170 identities stolen from the mail, from vehicles, and from individuals, and used them to create email accounts, bank accounts, money-transfer accounts, and sham business entities to route fraud proceeds into accounts under her control. The total estimated loss was more than $71,000.
A significant part of the scheme targeted an Alaska state agency that provides rental assistance. Posing as multiple landlords and tenants, Starr submitted nine fraudulent applications, and the agency disbursed $47,550 into accounts she had opened with stolen identities. She also forged checks drawn on several Alaska Native corporations using authentic account information from checks stolen from the mail, causing losses of more than $24,000.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman said his office will continue to prioritize abuses of pandemic relief and protect the U.S. Postal Service. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Anchorage Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Steward prosecuted it. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部总部大楼入口标识（四级图库联邦核心包固定图）。 / Image: Entrance sign of the U.S. Department of Justice headquarters (fixed image from the federal core asset pack).
