By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Six Sacramento residents have been charged in connection with a student-loan fraud ring.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that a federal grand jury returned a 26-count superseding indictment charging Nakesha Sharrieff, 23, Thomas Keys, 23, Jarmal Duplessis, 22, Hoa Tasha Kelly, 24, Jewel Minor, 24, and Teaona Williams, 24, with various activities related to a loan fraud ring that allegedly operated from 2004 through most of 2009.
Sharrieff - also known as Takiyah Raheem and Aysia Hanifah Kahan - along with Keys and Duplessis previously had been charged by indictment in October 2009, according to a Department of Justice news release.
The superseding indictment continues the charges against them, adds some charges relating to Sharrieff, and brings charges for the first time against Kelly, Minor and Williams, Wagner said.
Williams and Kelly were arrested Wednesday in Sacramento, Wagner said.
All six defendants are charged with conspiring to obtain federal financial aid by fraud or deceit. Sharrieff, Kelly, Minor and Williams are charged with mail fraud. Sharrieff also is charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft and obstructing law enforcement.
The indictment states that the fraud operated like this:
Kelly, Minor and Williams acted as recruiters for Sharrieff, finding individuals who were willing to supply their names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. Sharrieff then used the information to obtain federal student assistance funds for attendance at American River College.
None of the "straw" students who provided their personal information had any intention of attending school. Instead, the indictment alleges that when the checks were mailed to addresses associated with Sharrieff, Williams, Kelly or Minor, some of all of them met the straw students at banks or check cashing locations where the checks were cashed and the proceeds divided among the straw student, Sharrieff and the recruiter.
Through the scheme, more than $200,000 in federal financial aid funds were fraudulently obtained, the release states.
Keys and Duplessis are charged as co-conspirators for their roles as straw students, the release states.
The indictment also alleges that Sharrieff stole identities from two individuals and used them to obtain federal financial aid.
Sharrieff also is charged with obstructing law enforcement by attempting to prevent witnesses from speaking with law enforcement officers. Sharrieff allegedly sent a message stating that one witness needed to "keep his mouth shut" and would have "a price on his head," the release states.
The case resulted from an investigation by the Department of Education, Office of the Inspector General. The Sacramento Police Department assisted in the arrests.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
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