August 23, 2023 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kimberly Acevedo, 53, formerly of West Sacramento, was sentenced on Tuesday to four years and seven months in prison and ordered to pay $113,400 in restitution for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between March 2019 and March 2021, Acevedo and co‑defendant Philip Rich, 51, of West Sacramento, perpetrated a mail fraud scheme that involved theft of U.S. mail, identity theft, and unlawful possession of dozens of stolen bank cards. Generally, Acevedo and Rich obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims and used that information to apply for new credit cards, debit cards, checkbooks, and other financial instruments to be sent to the victims’ real home addresses. The defendants then submitted change-of-address requests to USPS using the victims’ PII. These change-of-address requests rerouted the victims’ mail to defendants’ shared home address, where they would open the mail and use the contents to make fraudulent purchases and cash fraudulent checks.

When federal agents executed a search warrant at defendants’ residence on Oct. 14, 2020, they seized dozens of notebooks filled with at least hundreds of identity-theft victim PII. The notebooks were scattered throughout the house, though mainly located in defendants’ shared bedroom. In addition, agents recovered an envelope, labeled “ID Templates,” in the bedroom containing approximately 10-15 fake California driver’s licenses in the names of various victims, but featuring Acevedo and Rich’s photographs and fake authentication features. Agents also recovered the tools required to construct the fake IDs as well as a magstripe device. Further, agents recovered over 50 credit and debit cards in the home as well as approximately 40 checkbooks in victims’ names as well as in the names of Acevedo and Rich. In total, defendants’ scheme caused over $110,000 in actual loss.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case.

Acevedo pleaded guilty in October 2022. Rich previously pleaded guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Oct. 4, 2022, he was sentenced to three years and three months in prison. He was ordered to pay $113,400 in restitution, jointly and severally with Acevedo.