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On Tuesday, Ava Misseldine was found guilty of stealing the identity of an infant named Brie Bourgeois, who passed away in 1979. She faked her identity for over a decade, applied for a driver's license, and obtained a student pilot license too. Ava Misseldine was also accused of stealing about $1.5 million in pandemic relief funds.
The 49-year-old pleaded guilty to 16 counts of passport and wire fraud. This came after authorities initiated an investigation when she tried to renew her passport in 2021. The convicted woman was also employed as a flight attendant for a Columbus-based private jet charter company.
Ava Misseldine pleaded guilty to stealing the identity of an infant who died back in the 70s
On Tuesday, Ava Misseldine pleaded guilty to wire and passport fraud. As has been mentioned before, she stole the identity of a deceased baby and used it to generate important documents including a driving license. She also used her fake identity to get a job as a flight attendant at JetSelect Airlines.
Misseldine has to pay over $1.5 million as restitution, and also spend about six years behind bars.
In 2003, the former baker applied for a driver's license in Ohio and obtained a passport in 2007. In 2020, a Paycheck Protection Program took place, through which Ava stole about $1.5 million.
She did the same by using businesses that were non-functional or non-existent. This included her former bakeries, Sugar Inc. Cupcakes & Tea Salon in Dublin and the Koko Tea Salon & Bakery operations in New Albany and at Easton Town Center in Columbus.
As per Law&Crime, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio released a press release and wrote:
"Her loan applications list her businesses as various bakeries and catering companies, including her former bakeries Sugar Inc. Cupcakes & Tea Salon in Dublin and Koko Tea Salon & Bakery in New Albany and at Easton. She submitted forged documents to support her loan applications."
The statement continued:
"In August and September 2021, Misseldine, after relocating to Utah, obtained driver’s licenses in both names."
Ava used the money from the pandemic relief funds to buy homes in Utah and Michigan
According to federal investigators, she used the money to buy two homes. She bought a house in Utah for $647,500, and another one in Michigan for $327,500, as per Law&Crime. She reportedly used both her real and fake identities to gain monetary benefits from several programs. Ava 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."
Authorities reportedly took her into custody in 2022, and after more than a year, she pleaded guilty to her crimes. It was also revealed that the baby whose identity she stole, died a long time ago and was buried in the Columbus cemetery.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney, Kenneth L. Parker, and it was imposed by US District Judge, Michael H. Watson. The U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General was primarily responsible for conducting the investigation.
