Three plead guilty to federal fraud charges
Oct. 11—The Department of Justice announced that three Bakersfield residents pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraud charges.
Charles Abieanga, 31, Viviana Cervantes, 23, and Simon Abieanga, 28, pleaded to separate fraud charges: Charles Abieanga and Viviana Cervantes, a husband and wife, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft for their roles in two different fraud schemes, according to court documents; Simon Abieanga, Charles' brother, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a two separate, but similar, fraud schemes, according to a DOJ news release.
Their schemes involved: submitting false claims to the California Employment Development Department and obtaining benefits associated with those claims; impersonating a supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) and defrauding hospitals by selling nonexistent medical supplies including surgical gowns and N-95 protective masks; and the sale of non-existent pets, horses, and vehicles to victims online.
The married couple's victims claimed losses that exceeded $210,000. Simon Abienga is reported to have causes losses of more than $105,000.
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for their charges at their respective sentencing hearings in January.
