Karina Arceo, a 34-year-old resident of Wasco, California, has been sentenced to five years in prison for her involvement in a significant credit card fraud scheme. The scheme involved the theft of personally identifiable information from healthcare providers and resulted in over $825,000 in losses. In addition to her prison sentence, Arceo will face three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert commented on the case: "The defendant used patient healthcare files to commit fraud and identity theft instead of treating those files with the care and sensitivity they deserve." He emphasized that his office would continue to work diligently with the FBI and law enforcement partners to address such crimes.
FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel remarked on Arceo's actions: "Arceo violated her employer’s trust by abusing her access to personally identifiable information, fueling an elaborate, greed-driven scheme that she and her partner enjoyed until they were taken into custody." He advised individuals to monitor their credit regularly as a precaution against unauthorized accounts.
Court records indicate that from February 2016 through August 2022, Arceo and co-defendant Miguel Leyva obtained personal information from over 125 victims. Much of this data was sourced from patient files at Kern County healthcare providers where Arceo was employed. The stolen information was used to open fraudulent credit card accounts across multiple regions including Fresno County, Kern County, and the Bay Area.
The duo made extensive fraudulent purchases totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. These included home appliances, furniture, luxury items like designer clothing and shoes, as well as travel expenses. Additionally, they resold many purchased items for cash without incurring any costs themselves. Their activities also extended to using stolen checks from companies in Kern County to make fraudulent payments toward their credit cards.
Arceo's role as the leader of the operation was confirmed through text messages exchanged with Leyva. These communications revealed how she guided Leyva on executing fraudulent transactions effectively.
Despite Leyva's attempt during sentencing proceedings to downplay Arceo's involvement by claiming leadership responsibility himself—a claim he expressed in a letter written from prison—the court did not accept this argument.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph D. Barton and Arelis M. Clemente prosecuting the case.
Leyva has already been sentenced previously to 65 months in prison for his part in the fraud scheme.