Wesley Chapel Woman Convicted Of Stealing Almost $2 Million

Summary

Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida, dated June 20, 2025. A federal jury found Maria Morales of Wesley Chapel guilty of trafficking in unauthorized access devices and aggravated identity theft. According to testimony and evidence at trial, she received over 100 debit cards issued by the state of Nevada for unemployment insurance benefits, each created using personal identifying information of unwitting individuals. She withdrew thousands of dollars at ATMs and in less than one year received almost $2 million in benefits to which she was never entitled. Sentencing is scheduled for September 19, 2025, with a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

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“Wesley Chapel Woman Convicted Of Stealing Almost $2 Million.” Original at www.oig.dol.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-06-25-wesley-chapel-woman-convicted-of-stealing-almost-2-million-a178c63120/, SHA-256 6981c89d8339a11ae9b6a289ee41bc453e856ea076683336955497afa28818ef.

Full text

PRESS RELEASE

Wesley Chapel Woman Convicted Of
Stealing Almost $2 Million In
Unemployment Insurance Benefits And
Identity Theft Of Over 100 Victims
Friday, June 20, 2025

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has
found Maria Morales (58, Wesley Chapel) guilty of trafficking in unauthorized access
devices and aggravated identity theft. Maria Morales faces a maximum penalty of 10
years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 19,
2025. Maria Morales was indicted on September 4, 2024.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Morales received over 100 debit
cards issued by the state of Nevada for unemployment insurance benefits distributed
during the COVID pandemic. Each of these debit cards was created using personal
identifying information of unwitting individuals from all over the United States. The
debit cards mailed to Morales had the names of those individuals on both the debit
cards and the envelope in which the cards were mailed. Upon receipt, Morales traveled
to various ATMs in the Middle District of Florida and withdrew thousands of dollars in
unemployment insurance benefits. In less than one year, Morales received almost $2
million in unemployment insurance benefits to which she was never entitled. In so
doing, she stole the identity of over 100 individuals.

This case was investigated by the Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General. It is
being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

Updated June 20, 2025

Topics
FINANCIAL FRAUD
IDENTITY THEFT
Component
USAO - Florida, Middle

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