West Sacramento Couple Indicted for Mail Fraud and Identity Theft

Press Release

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 12-count indictment was unsealed today charging West Sacramento residents Kimberly Acevedo, 50, and Philip Rich, 49, with mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen mail, and unlawful possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to the indictment, between March 2019 and March 2021, Acevedo and Rich perpetrated a mail fraud scheme that involved theft of U.S. mail, identity theft, and unlawful possession of dozens of stolen bank cards. Generally, Acevedo and Rich obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims and used that information to apply for new credit cards, debit cards, checkbooks, and other financial instruments to be sent to the victims’ real home addresses. The defendants then submitted change-of-address requests to USPS at www.usps.com using the victims’ PII. These change-of-address requests rerouted the victims’ mail to defendants’ shared home address, where they would open the mail and use its contents to make fraudulent purchases and cash fraudulent checks.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Acevedo and Rich both face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud, five years in prison for possessing stolen mail, and 10 years in prison for possessing more than 15 unauthorized access devices. The defendants also face a mandatory additional sentence of two years in prison if convicted of aggravated identity theft and a maximum fine of $250,000 on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


 

 

 

https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/video/psa-national-center-disaster-fraud


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