Two women from Chimayo have admitted guilt in federal court for their involvement in theft and bank fraud activities across multiple counties. The crimes took place in Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Rio Arriba Counties.
Court documents reveal that on May 22, 2022, Billie Jo Gussler and Angelica Dominguez entered a Valero gas station on Tesuque Pueblo around 4:00 AM. They stole property valued at over $1,000, including lottery tickets and cigarettes. Neither woman is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe.
Additionally, between January 6, 2020, and August 19, 2022, the pair engaged in a widespread bank fraud scheme targeting several federally insured financial institutions. These included Del Norte Credit Union, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Century Bank, Enterprise Bank and Trust, Washington Federal Bank, and SoFi Bank.
The fraudulent actions involved altering and forging checks to illegally withdraw funds from account holders and financial institutions.
Gussler and Dominguez are currently in custody awaiting sentencing. Each faces up to 30 years in prison followed by up to five years of supervised release upon their release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced the guilty pleas.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs led the investigation into the theft case with support from the Tesuque Tribal Police and Quay County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the fraud case with assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department, Espanola Police Department, and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Maria Stiteler are handling the prosecution.