SAN FRANCISCO - Yee Man Lui was sentenced to serve 40 months in prison for aggravated identity theft and access device fraud announced U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch and United States Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge Rafael Nuñez. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Maxine M. Chesney, U.S. District Judge, following Lui’s Sept. 14, 2016, guilty plea.
According to the guilty plea, from February through July of 2014, Lui, 36, of San Francisco, engaged in a scheme to defraud several financial institutions by opening new credit accounts in the names of unsuspecting individuals. Lui admitted that as part of the scheme, she took over existing credit card and debit card accounts and then, using the personal identifying information of the account holders without their knowledge or consent, created and used new credit accounts. She acknowledged applying for 42 credit cards via the Internet using the personal identifying information of her victims. In addition, Lui admitted she used credit and bank cards in the names of at least two individuals to make purchases. In sum, Lui admitted causing over $30,000 in actual and over $120,000 in intended losses to her victims.
On August 6, 2015, Lui was charged in a five-count indictment with two counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1), two counts of access device fraud, in violation 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(2) and (b)(1), and one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(b)(2). On Sept. 14, 2016, Lui pleaded guilty to one count each of aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. The remaining charges were dismissed.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chesney also ordered Lui to serve 36 months of supervised release and to pay restitution. Judge Chesney has not yet set a hearing date to determine the amount of restitution that Lui will be ordered to pay.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Hawkins is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Patricia Mahoney. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
