A Houston woman, who was employed as a contractor for a national bank, has been arrested on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy. This development was announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jaysha Victorian, aged 23, recently appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo following her arrest. A federal grand jury had returned a two-count indictment against her on November 20, which was unsealed upon her detention.
The allegations pertain to activities that occurred over several weeks in January 2021. During this period, Victorian is accused of exploiting her access to the bank's systems to load prepaid debit cards with fraudulent credits despite knowing these credits were not legitimate. The indictment states that these debit cards included those used for unemployment benefits, notably in California.
Cardholders reportedly managed to withdraw the fraudulent funds from bank branches and ATMs before any corrective action could be taken by the bank. The alleged actions resulted in more than $8 million in fraudulent credits being issued, with over $7 million withdrawn or utilized.
If found guilty, Victorian could face up to 20 years imprisonment for wire fraud and an additional five years for conspiracy charges. Both convictions also carry potential fines of up to $250,000 each.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI along with the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Department of Labor-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Karen Lansden are handling the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a formal accusation and not proof of guilt; defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise through due legal process.