ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Luke Trujillo, 27, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 11 to one count of conspiracy, one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of being in possession of stolen mail. Trujillo is currently in custody awaiting sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
Trujillo and co-defendant, Jose Machado, 37, of Albuquerque, were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 22, 2019. According to the plea agreement and other court documents, from Feb. 9, 2015, to Jan. 18, 2016, Trujillo and Machado used stolen mail and documents containing sensitive information to obtain counterfeit identification and create bank accounts under assumed names in Albuquerque. During the scheme, Trujillo and Machado also used the stolen identities of victims to apply for lines of credit and to add themselves as “secondary users” to victims’ accounts to control and access the accounts. Using the fraudulent credit and debit cards, Trujillo and Machado spent over $7,000 on merchandise from several stores.
Trujillo faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy and possession of stolen mail, up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud, and a not less than two years for aggravated identity theft that must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.
Machado pleaded guilty on Oct. 21, 2020. Machado was sentenced on April 8, 2021, to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release upon his release from prison.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case.