Indiana Travel Agent Sentenced For Wire Fraud
Maria Caceres an Indiana travel agent was sentenced last week to 30 months in federal prison following her conviction of wire fraud, to which she had previously plead guilty.
According to court records, the 56-year old Caceres was employed by Seven Corners, a travel insurance business located in Carmel. Between May 2011 and September 2016, Caceres prepared and submitted thirty fraudulent insurance claims to Seven Corners totaling more than $650.000. As part of the scheme, Caceres and her accomplices created fictitious names under which they purchased insurance policies from the victim company.
Caceres and her accomplices created false email addresses in the name of a hospital in Venezuela and submitted claims to the victim company for purported emergency medical services provided to the fictitious individuals during international travel. The U.S. Department of Justice says none of these expenses were ever incurred and Caceres had created artificial customer accounts and false documents in support of the claims. As a result of the fraud, the victim company paid over $588,000 to accounts controlled by Caceres’ accomplices.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for one year following her release from prison. Caceres was also ordered to pay over $496,000.00 in restitution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice