Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A woman from Houston has confessed to engaging in a scheme to defraud a national banking institution by loading prepaid debit cards with illicit funds. Jaysha Victorian, 23, admitted to the wrongdoing as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Victorian was employed by a bank contractor between late 2020 and early 2021, during which she exploited her system access to credit prepaid debit cards with nearly $8.6 million in fraudulent funds. The prepaid cards, intended to provide unemployment benefits, were particularly involved in her actions, notably affecting the state of California.
The fraudulent cards were circulated to different individuals who then accessed the funds via ATMs and other outlets. By the time the bank managed to freeze the transactions, more than $7.6 million had already been withdrawn or used. Victorian acknowledged conducting some ATM transactions herself, including a withdrawal of $1,000 in Houston, and received about $300,000 in cash from her participation in the scheme.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen is scheduled to sentence Victorian on July 7. She may face a prison term of up to five years and a $250,000 fine. Until her sentencing, Victorian remains on bond.
The investigation was carried out by the FBI, Houston Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General’s Covid Fraud Unit, and the Department of Labor. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Karen Lansden.
