Fraudsters Sent To Federal Prison

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Several individuals have been ordered to federal prison for their roles in a scheme to defraud local banks, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

Rosemary Guillen, 41, and Richard Villarreal, 29, both of Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty in December 2014 to aiding and assisting one another to commit bank fraud. Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos sentenced Guillen to 46 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and Villarreal to a 46-month-term also to be followed by a three-year-term of supervised release. Both were further ordered to pay restitution.

In a separate, but related, indictment, Brianna Geuea, 36, of Portland, entered a guilty plea to a single count of bank fraud as well as theft of mail. She was also sentenced today to 33 and 27 months in federal prison for the bank fraud and mail theft convictions, respectively. Judge Ramos ordered her sentences to run concurrently. She must also serve three years of supervised release following her release from prison and must pay a total of $4,087.52 in restitution.

As part of the fraudulent scheme, individuals would open banking accounts at a local area credit or gain access to existing accounts. They would then deposit fraudulent or counterfeit checks into those accounts, withdraw money and make purchases before the financial institution discovered the fraudulent nature of the deposits.

The fraudulent activity involved more than 20 accounts and created a potential loss of more than $100,000. 

In federal custody since their arrests, all will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be designated in the near future.

The charges stem from an investigation by U.S. Secret Service and the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.