LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Three people, including a Las Vegas woman, have now been indicted after being accused of using information from California prison inmates to obtain student loan money.
The Justice Department made the announcement on Friday.
Investigators said 36-year-old Dionne Ramsey as well as two family members were involved in the scheme.
According to an indictment unsealed this week, from January 2012 to August 2017, the three obtained personal information including names and social security numbers of state prison inmates.
They are then accused of using this information to fraudulently enroll in community colleges and receive money using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA program on behalf of straw students. That money was then sent to their bank accounts.
The indictment said the $980,000 they received was used for personal expenses and not used for educational costs.
All three were arrested and have been released on bond. Ramsey made her initial court appearance on Thursday and is expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
She's facing five counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud.
If convicted, she's facing up to 30 years in federal prison for each count.
