A Port Arthur resident has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for her role in a wire fraud scheme that defrauded an elderly victim out of more than $1.4 million, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas.
Joanne Schiwart, 28, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and received a sentence of 120 months in federal prison from U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 10, 2025. In addition to her prison term, Schiwart was ordered to pay $1,464,761.47 in restitution.
Court documents show that over the course of a year, Schiwart contacted an investment company by phone and used personally identifying information to impersonate the account holder. This allowed her to transfer more than $1.4 million from the elderly victim’s retirement accounts. The funds were used for personal purchases, including multiple vehicles for herself and as gifts for others.
The FBI investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Jackson.
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