Philadelphia Woman Charged with Fraud in Connection with Stolen COVID Relief Check

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A Philadelphia lady, Ashley Stibbins-Parker, faces extreme crook repercussions after allegedly orchestrating a scheme to scouse borrow a COVID-19 consolation test supposed for the city of Weston, Florida. The stolen charge range were reportedly used for non-public indulgences, together with beauty surgical treatment and comfort shopping sprees. The incident has led to Stibbins-Parker being charged with organized fraud, money laundering, and primary-diploma grand robbery.

The Scheme Unveiled

In 2021, Stibbins-Parker allegedly created a fake entity, “City of Weston LLC,” and opened a corresponding financial institution account in Sandy Springs, Georgia. This come to be a part of a complicated plan to divert a full-size COVID remedy check, worth $184,838.Seventy two, which changed into issued with the aid of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners to the city of Weston on February 12, 2021. The charge range have been intended to provide comfort underneath the federal CARES Act at some point of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fraudulent Actions

Court files display that Stibbins-Parker filed a fraudulent certificates of enterprise for “City of Weston LLC” with the country of Georgia on March 8, 2021. The certificates falsely listed the number one office deal with as Weston City Hall and named Stibbins-Parker as each the “registered agent” and “organizer,” the usage of addresses in Philadelphia and Atlanta. The fraudulent financial institution account changed into mounted on March 12, 2021, and the stolen check have become deposited on March 15, 2021.

Misuse of Funds

The warrant info that Stibbins-Parker made numerous large withdrawals quick after the deposit. On March 24, she withdrew over $119,000, transferring $40,800 to a female named Jerisha Coburn and $seventy eight,500 to Selnik Development LLC, owned by using manner of Jahmari Christian Osani. Between March 26 and March 31, she carried out several Zelle transactions, such as an $eight,800 switch to an account associated with a girl in Snellville, Georgia named Princess Ogumgbuaja.

Authorities moreover located that on March 27, Stibbins-Parker made a $27,000 withdrawal from the Sandy Springs Bank of America branch. By March 30, she have become in South Florida, using the stolen finances for diverse private fees. An invoice from that date indicates a $6,250 payment for a Brazilian butt raise at a plastic surgical operation middle in Miramar. Staff showed that Stibbins-Parker became the affected man or woman, and the rate was made with a Bank of America credit card below the call “City of Weston LLC Ashley Stibbens (sic).”

Stibbins-Parker’s misuse of the stolen price range endured as she made additional withdrawals from a Bank of America branch in Opa-locka, totaling $1,four hundred on April 1 and 7. She additionally bought plane tickets from Miami to Atlanta on Frontier and Southwest Airlines on April 8 and 9, respectively. Her lavish spending spree covered bookings for lodge rooms and buying at excessive-stop stores in Bal Harbour, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Wolford.

Account Closure and Legal Proceedings

The fraudulent “City of Weston LLC” account emerge as finally closed via Bank of America on June 4, 2021, with a poor stability of -$131,888.22. Authorities controlled to behavior a controlled smartphone call with Stibbins-Parker on October 19, 2023, similarly implicating her in the scheme.

Stibbins-Parker grow to be arrested in Maryland and regarded in that country’s courtroom on June 14, 2023. She waived her extradition court cases and turned into sooner or later booked into the Broward County jail on Tuesday, really shy of weeks later. She is presently being held in the BSO’s Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach with a bond set at $200,000. The determine ordered that any price range used to position up bond ought to come from a legitimate supply, and Stibbins-Parker has been prohibited from applying for a passport.

Philadelphia Woman Charged with Fraud in Connection with Stolen COVID Relief Check

Legal Implications

The prices against Stibbins-Parker encompass prepared fraud, money laundering, and first-degree grand robbery, which might be serious felonies. If convicted, she faces giant jail time and large fines. The complexity and scope of the scheme, coupled with the misuse of federal comfort price range, underscore the gravity of the case.

This case highlights the vulnerabilities inside the distribution and management of federal remedy price variety. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated speedy economic assist for towns and people, however it additionally created possibilities for fraudulent sports. The alleged actions of Stibbins-Parker feature a stark reminder of the want for stringent oversight and obligation inside the allocation and usage of such rate range.

The case of Ashley Stibbins-Parker sheds moderate on the volume of fraudulent schemes that emerged in the path of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her alleged moves no longer best disadvantaged the metropolis of Weston of lots-needed alleviation finances but additionally exposed systemic weaknesses within the handling of emergency economic useful resource. As the legal proceedings spread, it is going to be critical to address the ones vulnerabilities to save you comparable occurrences inside the future. Stibbins-Parker’s case serves as a cautionary tale, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and integrity in instances of disaster.

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