US women sentenced in separate wire and PPP fraud schemes

Two separate federal fraud cases in the United States have resulted in prison sentences for women involved in financial schemes.

In New York, Nahtahna Castner, 46, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Between 2020 and 2023, Castner and a co-conspirator defrauded an elderly neighbor by exploiting their position of trust. The scheme involved unauthorized ATM withdrawals, wire transfers, and debit card purchases totaling approximately $252,672. The victim's savings were reduced from roughly $283,954 to under $100. The pair also used the victim's identity to apply for three credit cards.

In New Jersey, Brigette Miller-Levy, 62, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering. Miller-Levy used her business, Royal Marketing Services, Inc., to submit a fraudulent application for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The application used fabricated tax forms to claim over $1.4 million in fictitious wages. The total loss to taxpayers from the scheme was $882,777, with Miller-Levy personally gaining $329,100 through loan proceeds and kickbacks from recruited co-conspirators.