U.S. Attorney Susan T. Lehr | U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Ashtin D. Schutjer, a 36-year-old resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, has been sentenced for access device fraud. On December 20, 2024, Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Schutjer to 14 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole. Following her release, she will be under supervised release for three years and must pay $151,693.74 in restitution to the victim.
Schutjer began working as a caregiver for an elderly couple in 2014 and was responsible for running errands using their First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) debit card. In early 2018, a Chase/Amazon credit card was opened under a derivative form of one victim's name without authorization from the other victim or any indication they were aware of it.
Following the death of one victim on August 3, 2018, unauthorized use of the Chase/Amazon card increased significantly. Purchases included airline tickets for Schutjer and her family, electronics such as a Microsoft Xbox and Apple products, and various items from Amazon and local stores in Council Bluffs.
The fraudulent activity continued until 2021 with over $150,000 charged to the card. Payments were made from Victim 1’s FNBO checking account without their knowledge or consent.
Chief Judge Rossiter emphasized the impact on Victim 1 during sentencing by stating: “You took away everything this woman (Victim 1) had.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to Schutjer's conviction.
