Fresno, California - An indictment was unsealed Tuesday following the arrest of Bobbi Jo Heiss, 34, of Fresno, charging her with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment on October 14.
According to court documents, between August 2020 and September 2021, Heiss engaged in a scheme to steal debit cards, checks, identity documents, and banking information in order to make fraudulent purchases, cash checks, and open unauthorized lines of credit. It is alleged that caused at least $250,000 in actual and attempted loss during that year-long period.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office - Elder Abuse Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of bank fraud, Heiss faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. If convicted of the aggravated identity theft, Heiss faces a mandatory, consecutive sentence of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
