COLUMBUS, OHIO: A woman has reportedly been sentenced to six years in prison and has to cough up more than $1.5M in restitution after being convicted of a huge fraud, which saw her using a dead baby’s identity to get numerous government licenses, loans and a job. Ava Misseldine's sentencing took place on Tuesday, August 8, after she pled guilty to 16 counts of wire and passport fraud in October 2022 after being charged in June of the same year.
Authorities caught wind of the 50-year-old’s illegal actions in 2021 “when she tried to renew the fraudulent passport,” a statement from the US Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio said. The statement also noted that a probe was launched and she was “charged by a criminal complaint with passport fraud, Social Security number fraud, aggravated identity theft, and fraud in connection with an emergency.”
What did Ava Misseldine do with the dead baby's ID?
Misseldine, who hails from Ohio, reportedly took advantage of the identity of an infant, who died in 1979 and was buried in a cemetery in Columbus. Using the baby's identity, Misseldine applied for her home state ID in 2003. She also used the deceased child’s name to get a driver’s license and a Social Security card.
In 2007, Misseldine received a student pilot certificate and US Passport using the same baby’s name. “Misseldine submitted paperwork claiming she needed the passport to travel internationally in her occupation as a flight attendant for JetSelect. She was employed under the false identity,” the official statement mentioned.
‘$1.5 million in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans’
The Koko Tea Salon owner also reportedly got nearly “$1.5 million in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans in 2020,” which she gained by showing her fake as well as real identities. The attorney’s office statement claimed that Misseldine spent the money received through the Covid-19 pandemic relief loan to buy a house worth $647,500 in Utah and a second in Michigan for $327,500. She also got two drivers’ licenses in August and September 2021 after shifting to Utah. However, in June 2022, she was caught before being taken “to the Southern District of Ohio to face her charges in federal court.”
According to USA Today, Misseldine’s defense attorney, Alan John Pfeuffer, said, “Ava is very remorseful for her actions. She looks forward to receiving needed counseling while in the prison system.”
