Houston Woman Arrested on Wire Fraud and Conspiracy Charges in $8 Million Scheme
A Houston woman has been taken into custody on federal wire fraud and conspiracy charges in connection with a scheme involving fraudulent credits on prepaid debit cards, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced. Jaysha Victorian, 23, who worked as a contractor for a national bank, made her initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo.
Victorian was indicted on November 20, and the charges were unsealed following her arrest. The indictment alleges that in January 2021, Victorian used her access to the bank’s systems to load prepaid debit cards with fraudulent credits. These cards included those used to distribute unemployment benefits, such as for the state of California. Victorian is accused of knowing that the credits were not warranted, and cardholders withdrew the funds from bank branches and ATMs before the fraudulent money could be rescinded.
The scheme reportedly resulted in over $8 million in fraudulent credits, with more than $7 million being withdrawn or used. Victorian faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charge and an additional five years for the conspiracy charge, with fines of up to $250,000 for each conviction.
The investigation was carried out by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG), and the Department of Labor-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Karen Lansden are prosecuting the case.
