Carter County Resident Sentenced For Role In Defrauding A Retiree

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Amber Nicole Pickelsimer, age 45, of Healdton, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for one count of Wire Fraud.  Pickelsimer was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $1,050,000.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On July 20, 2023, Pickelsimer pleaded guilty to one count of Wire Fraud.  As part of the plea, Pickelsimer admitted to defrauding a victim of their retirement savings through a blackmail scheme perpetrated over nineteen months between 2019 and 2020.  According to investigators, Pickelsimer targeted a retired acquaintance, created fake Facebook accounts, then used those accounts to extort money from the victim.  Pickelsimer initiated contact with the victim through one of the fake accounts, falsely claimed to possess damaging material about a family member and threatened to release the damaging material unless the victim delivered large quantities of money to a drop site.  Soon after, Pickelsimer created an additional fake Facebook account and multiple false personas to send messages to threaten the victim into making additional payments.

“We take extortion threats very seriously and will investigate them to the fullest extent of federal law,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Sonia Garcia of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office.  “The criminals who think they can extort innocent people should know there will be consequences.  These crimes cause severe emotional distress to the victims and will not be tolerated.”

“Online extortion can be financially and emotionally devastating, but it can be stopped,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “If you believe you or someone you know is the target of cyberextortion or blackmail, do not be afraid to reach out for help.”

The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Pickelsimer will self-report on June 13, 2024, to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant United States Attorney Kara Traster represented the United States.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT. 
1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311)

Or to file a complaint, visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the FBI’s central hub for reporting cybercrime, at https://www.ic3.gov/Home/ComplaintChoice and select “Elder Fraud.”