Superseding Information — United States v. Chanette Lewis

Record facts

U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York · No. 1:21-cr-00729-LAK · Doc. 49 · 2022-12-02 · Docket on CourtListener

Full text

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA . 
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v. -
CHANETTE LEWIS , 
a/k/a "Netty Hott, " 
Defendant . 
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COUNT ONE 
SUPERSEDING INFORMATION 
S2 21 Cr . 729 (LAK) 
(Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud) 
The United States Attorney charges : 
1. 
From at least in or around April 2020 up to and including 
in or around September 2021 , in the Southern District of New York 
and elsewhere, CHANETTE LEWIS, a/k/a "Netty Hott," the defendant , 
and others known and unknown, willfully and knowingly combined, 
conspired, confederated, and agreed together and with each other 
to commit an offense against the United States, to wit , wire fraud , 
in violation of Title 18, United States Code , Section 1343. 
2 . 
It was a part and object of the conspiracy that CHANETTE 
LEWIS, a/k/a "Netty Hott," the defendant , 
and others known and 
unknown, knowingly having devised and intending to devise a scheme 
and artifice to defraud and for obtaining money and property by 
means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, 
and 
promises , would and did transmit and cause to be transmitted by 
means of wire, radio, and television communication in interstate 
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and foreign commerce , 
writings , 
signs, signals , 
pictures , 
and 
sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme and artifice, in 
violation of Title 18 , United States Code , Section 1343 , to wit, 
LEWIS agreed with others to commit COVID- 19 pandemic fraud by: 
(a ) defrauding New 
York City' s 
COVID-19 Hotel 
Room Isolation 
Program ( the "Program") --
which was intended to provide hotel 
rooms , free of cost , for patients convalescing from COVID- 19 and 
for healthcare workers who needed to self- isolate because of 
exposure to COVID- 19 --
by falsely claiming to be a healthcare 
worker, by misappropriating actual healthcare workers' identifying 
information, 
and 
by selling 
Program hotel 
rooms 
that 
LEWIS 
fraudulently obtained to individuals who did not meet the Program's 
requirements; and (b) committing unemployment benefits fraud in 
New York State by fraudulently obtaining such benefits for herself 
and by stealing the identity of another individual and obtaining 
unemployment benefits issued for the benefit of that individual; 
and LEWIS sent and received , and caused others to send and receive, 
interstate text messages and phone calls, to and from the Southern 
District of New 
York 
and elsewhere , 
in furtherance of this 
conspiracy . 
Overt Acts 
3 . 
In furtherance of the conspiracy , 
and to effect the 
illegal object thereof , the following overt acts , 
among others, 
were committed in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere : 
2 
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a . 
Between in or about April 2020 and in or about July 
2020 , CHANETTE LEWIS , a/k/a "Netty Hott," the defendant , obtained 
approximately 28 nights ' worth of Program hotel rooms by falsely 
claiming to be a healthcare worker . 
b. 
Between in or about April 2020 and in or about July 
2020 , 
LEWIS used Facebook to advertise the fraudulent sale of 
Program 
hotel 
rooms , 
communicate 
with 
co- conspirators , 
and 
communicate with potential customers . 
For instance , on or about 
June 11, 2020 , 
LEWIS wrote , "I'm booking it as u a health care 
worker" . 
On the same day, LEWIS wrote , "we book for the doctor 
and health care workers ... I be stealing they employer id number 
and license number and stuff . " 
c . 
Between in or about April 2020 and in or about July 
2020, LEWIS sold approximately 1 , 936 nights' worth of fraudulently 
obtained Program hotel rooms to others and received payment via 
Cash App . 
d . 
Between in or about March 2020 and in or about 
September 2021, LEWIS fraudulently obtained more than $46 , 000 in 
unemployment benefits i n her own name , including by submitting 
unempl oyment applications containing material misrepresentations 
on or about both November 25 , 2020 and March 21 , 2021 . 
(Title 18 , United States Code , Section 371 . ) 
3 
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COUNT TWO 
(Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud) 
The United States Attorney further charges : 
4 . 
From at least in or around July 2020 up to and including 
in or around October 2021 , in the Southern Di strict of New York 
and elsewhere , CHANETTE LEWIS , a/k/a " Netty Hott," the defendant , 
and others known and unknown, willfully and knowingly combined, 
conspired, confederated, and agreed together and with each other 
to commit an offense against the United States , to wit, wire fraud , 
in violation of Title 18 , United States Code , Section 1343. 
5. 
It was a part and object of the conspiracy that CHANETTE 
LEWIS , a/k/a "Netty Hott , " the defendant , 
and others known and 
unknown , knowingly having devised and intending to devise a scheme 
and artifice to defraud and for obtaining money and property by 
means of false and fraudulent pretenses , 
representations , 
and 
promises , would and did transmit and cause to be transmitted by 
means of wire , radi o , and television communication in interstate 
and foreign commerce , 
writings , 
signs , 
signals , 
pictures , 
and 
sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme and artifice , in 
violat i on of Title 18 , United States Code , Section 1343 , to wit , 
LEWIS agreed with others to defraud the New York City Housing 
Authority ("NYCHA" ) by s ubmitting fabricated documents 
such as 
purported Orders of Protection bearing Judges ' 
names , purported 
letters from a District Attorney , 
and purported letters from 
4 
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doctors attest i ng to alleged medi cal issues -- to NYCHA in order 
to secure public housing benefits for both herself and others , 
such as transfers to larger NYCHA apartments; and LEWIS sent and 
received, and caused others to send and receive, interstate text 
messages and phone calls , to and from the Southern District of New 
York and elsewhere , in furtherance of this conspiracy. 
Overt Acts 
6 . 
In furtherance of the conspiracy , 
and to effect the 
illegal object thereof , the following overt acts , among others , 
were committed in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere : 
a . 
Between at least in or about June 2021 and in or 
about August 
2021 , 
CHANETTE 
LEWIS, 
a/k/a "Netty Hott , " 
the 
defendant , used Facebook to advertise the services she offered 
with respect to NYCHA ap3rtments . 
For instance , on or about June 
15 , 
2021 , 
LEWIS posted on Facebook and advertised , 
among other 
things , 
a transfer within NYCHA for $1 , 300 , 
and an extra room 
(i . e ., a larger apartment within NYCHA housing) for $1 , 700 . 
(Title 18 , United States Code , Section 371 . ) 
FORFEITURE ALLEGATION 
7 . 
As the result of committing the offenses charged in 
Counts One and Two of this Superseding Information , CHANETTE LEWIS , 
a/k/a "Netty Hott ," the defendant , shall forfeit to the United 
States , 
pursuant 
to 
Title 
18 , 
United 
States 
Code , 
Section 
981 (a) (1) (C) 
and Title 28 , United States Code , Section 2461 (c) , 
5 
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any and all property , real and personal , that constitutes or is 
derived from proceeds traceable to the commission of said offenses, 
including but not limited to a 
sum of money in United States 
currency representing the amount of proceeds traceable to the 
commission of said offenses . 
Substitute Assets Provision 
8 . 
If any of the above - described forfeitable property, as 
a result of any act or omission of the defendant : 
a . 
cannot 
be 
located 
upon 
the 
exercise 
of 
due 
diligence ; 
b . 
has been transferred or sold to , or deposited with, 
a third person; 
c . 
has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the 
Court ; 
d . 
has been substantially diminished in value ; or 
e . 
has 
been 
commingled with other property which 
cannot be subdivided without difficulty; 
it is the intent of the United States , pursuant to Title 21 , United 
States Code , Section 853 (p), and Title 28 , United States Code , 
Section 24 61 , 
to seek forfeiture of any other property of the 
6 
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defendant up to the value of the forfeitable property described 
above. 
(Title 18, United States Code , Section 98 1 ; 
Title 21, United States Code, Section 853; and 
Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461.) 
J)~ ~~ 
DAMIAN WILLIAMS 
United States Attorney 
7 
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
v . 
CHANETTE LEWIS , 
a/k/a "Netty Hott," 
Defendant . 
SUPERSEDING INFORMATION 
S2 21 Cr . 729 (LAK ) 
(18 u.s.c. § 371) 
DAMIAN WILLIAMS 
United States Attorney 
Case 1:21-cr-00729-LAK     Document 49     Filed 12/02/22     Page 8 of 8

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