Heather Marquis, a resident of Bremerton, Washington, appeared today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma. She faces a 14-count indictment, which includes charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced her arraignment. Marquis, 36, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. Her co-defendant, Emily Vranic, aged 33, was arraigned last week and released to her parents. The trial is set for June 16, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Miller, the two women allegedly victimized approximately 278 individuals in Kitsap and Mason Counties. Miller praised the efforts of the Bremerton Police Department, Kitsap County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in tracking the financial harm suffered by many in this case.
Court records indicate that between April 2019 and November 2024, Vranic and Marquis engaged in identity theft by stealing mail and using personal documents to activate credit cards or access online bank accounts. The accused would intercept documents mailed to a third-party victim before transitioning to sending statements to their own address in Bremerton.
The stolen identities facilitated fraudulent credit card debt accumulation and unauthorized transfers from victim accounts, including attempts to support their mortgage payments. In one case, the pair tried to move $35,000 from a victim's account following a successful $33,000 transfer. They even tried to call the bank and impersonate the account holder to remove a fraud alert.
Officials estimate that the financial fraud caused losses of approximately $620,000. Tony Galetti, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, emphasized efforts to protect citizens and their means of communication, acknowledging the lasting emotional and financial harm inflicted on the victims.
The charges the defendants face are serious, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud punishable by up to 30 years in prison, wire fraud up to 20 years, and aggravated identity theft carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of two years, consecutive to other sentences.
It should be noted that these charges are currently accusations, and all individuals are entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. The Bremerton Police Department, the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are continuing their investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore is handling the prosecution.
