A Houston woman, Jaysha Victorian, has confessed to participating in a scheme involving the unauthorized allocation of funds to prepaid debit cards. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the development following Victorian's guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Victorian, 23, accessed systems of a major banking institution through her position at a bank contractor. Between late 2020 and early 2021, she manipulated these systems to load fraudulent funds onto prepaid debit cards, including cards meant for unemployment benefits within California. The cards were then distributed, enabling others to withdraw cash at various locations. Victorian's actions impacted 187 cards, crediting them with around $8.6 million. Over $7.6 million of this sum was spent before intervention could freeze the cards.
Her involvement included personal gains, such as using the funds for ATM withdrawals, notably a $1,000 transaction in Houston, and receiving $300,000 in cash from the operation. Sentencing is scheduled for July 7, presided over by U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen. Victorian could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although she remains free on bond until her sentencing.
The investigation was a collaborative effort by the FBI, Houston Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General's COVID Fraud Unit, and the Department of Labor. Prosecutors in the case are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Karen Lansden.