Woman from Peru Charged With Identity Theft

WICHITA, KAN. – A woman from Peru who came to the United States in 2005 on a visitor’s visa and stayed has been charged in federal court here with identity theft and document fraud, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.

The woman, Jennifer Leyva, 35, who has lived in Wichita since at least 2013, is alleged to have used at least three different identities to get jobs at several Wichita-area businesses. She was arrested Tuesday by agents of the Kansas Department of Labor and Homeland Security Investigations, who investigated the case, and she was scheduled to make an initial court appearance Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gwynne E. Birzer.

A federal grand jury indicted Leyva March 16 on 10 counts, including two counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of identity document fraud, two counts of lying of an I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form, and four counts of misuse of a Social Security number. The charges relate to the defendant’s employment at health care-related businesses in Wichita.

If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting. As in any criminal case, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.