Source: Office of United States Attorneys
HOUSTON – A Honduran woman illegally residing in the United States has been indicted for failing to surrender to serve her sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Leidy Areli Hernandez Lopez, 44, pleaded guilty May 10, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud stemming from her role in selling illegal temporary Texas license plates. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. later sentenced her to serve 30 months in federal prison and to pay over $316,000 in restitution.
She was to report to federal prison before 2 p.m. April 9, 2024. However, she failed to do so.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment Feb. 20 charging her with failure to surrender. If convicted of that charge, she faces another five years in federal prison.
Lopez is considered a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for her arrest. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.