Woman who used stolen mail in fraud scheme sentenced to prison
A 27-year-old Sacramento woman has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for her role in scheme to defraud banks and credit unions.
Ashley Nicole Leyba, also known as Ashley Nicole Schlichting, pleaded guilty to using information gleaned from stolen mail to commit fraud. U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on Friday sentenced her to four years and nine months in prison for bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and possession of stolen mail, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release.
The identity theft scheme was carried out between Sept. 15, 2016, and Feb. 3, 2017. Leyba, working with others in the Sacramento area, obtained stolen mail and used the financial and identification information to open credit card accounts and lines of credit. She used the credit cards to purchase goods in Sacramento and Placer counties and was shown in surveillance photos during several of the fraudulent transactions, the news release said.
Leyba was arrested Feb. 13. She admits in her plea agreement that she instructed an associate, Channin Renee Dickens, to destroy stolen identification and financial information left in her residence. But Dickens was arrested before the materials could be destroyed.
Dickens has pleaded guilty and is to be sentenced by Burrell on Sept. 14.
The case resulted from an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol.
Cathy Locke: 916-321-5287, @lockecathy
This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Woman who used stolen mail in fraud scheme sentenced to prison."