BOSTON (WSVN) – A federal court in Boston sentenced a Miami woman to five years in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in pandemic-related loans using stolen identities from more than 10 individuals.
According to the Department of Justice, Danielle Miller, 32, had used the funds for personal luxuries, including chartering a private jet and renting a luxury apartment.
Miller was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release. The exact amount of restitution she must pay will be determined at a later date. In March, Miller had pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
“Ms. Miller isn’t an influencer, she is a convicted felon. She stole the identities of innocent people to steal over $1.2 million in pandemic-relief loans that should have gone to people in need. In a quest for fleeting social media stardom, Ms. Miller relied on fraud to fund a lavish lifestyle of private jets, luxury apartments, and other accoutrements of wealth,” acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said.
Miller’s fraudulent activities targeted government pandemic relief programs, including Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. She used stolen identities and fake business names to secure more than $1 million in government benefits.
“Danielle Miller stole critical financial support from the hands of people who needed it during one of the most turbulent economic periods in recent history,” Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England said. “While other Americans worried about how to keep food on the table, Miller spent her ill-gotten gains on hotels and luxury goods, heartlessly flaunting this fraudulent lifestyle on social media.”
Additionally, Miller possessed counterfeit driver’s licenses with her photograph but in the victims’ names. She chartered a private jet and stayed at luxury hotels in California using one victim’s identity. In a separate incident, she rented a luxury apartment in Miami using another victim’s identity.
Miller maintained an active social media presence with over 34,000 Instagram followers, where she flaunted her extravagant use of fraudulently obtained proceeds, purchasing luxury goods and renting upscale accommodations. She even posted transactions made using a victim’s bank account.
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