Woman facing decades behind bars in mail fraud scheme

Criminal charges are no joke, and the consequences tied to them can be significant. One North Carolina woman is finding out just how significant, as she is facing 20 years behind bars for her role in a mail fraud scheme. Here’s what’s going on with her case. 

The crime 

According to reports, for roughly a year and a half, this woman is said to have filed fake insurance claims for postal packages she never sent. Authorities say she did this by using stock photos of various products, using home addresses obtained from Zillow, and utilizing tracking numbers she found online. The U.S. Postal Service, which offers insurance on priority packages, ended up paying her over $38,000 during that time.  

The charges 

In Feb. 2021, this individual was charged with mail fraud. Just recently, she pleaded guilty to the charges. Her sentencing is set to take place in June. 

Why did she plead guilty? 

There is no doubt that sometimes fighting criminal charges is the right thing to do; however, there are times when working toward a plea agreement is the better course of action. In the case above, the accused opted to plead guilty to the mail fraud charges. Terms of a plea agreement were not released, but the odds are her sentence will not be as severe as it would have been had she chosen to fight the charges and been found guilty. North Carolina residents who find themselves facing fraud-related charges can turn to an attorney with experience navigating such cases to determine the best course of action for their circumstances.