Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to Using a Stolen Identity to Rent Apartments Allegedly Used by Co-Defendant for Drug Trafficking

BOSTON – A Boston woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to a conspiracy to fraudulently rent two apartments under another individual’s identity.

Ashley Roostaie, a/k/a “Lola,” a/k/a “dropdeadlola,” 38, pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2025. Roostaie was charged in April 2023, along with alleged co-conspirator Terrence Pyrtle.

According to court documents Roostaie, and allegedly Pyrtle, utilized the personal identification information (including name, date of birth and Social Security number) of another individual to apply for and enter into lease agreements for two apartments in Braintree and Somerville, respectively. As part of their conspiracy Roostaie, and allegedly Pyrtle, created an email account under the name of the individual’s identity that they had submitted in connection with the apartments and transmitted a purported driver’s license containing the individual’s name and some of that individual’s personal identification information but depicting a different person’s photograph. By placing the apartment leases under another individual’s personal identification information Roostaie, and allegedly Pyrtle, were able to conceal any connection to and use of the apartments. According to court documents, Pyrtle allegedly then used those locations to participate in a drug conspiracy involving distribution quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine.

Roostaie, and allegedly Pyrtle, also used that individual’s personal identification information to obtain and use a Green Dot debit card to make payments associated with each of the apartments, each of which had a monthly rent that exceeded $1,000.    

Pyrtle has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

The charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of access device fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Bridgewater, Fall River, and Quincy Police Departments and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Cutshall of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant  is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.