Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Shelbra Long Sentenced for Fraudulently Causing the Award of Over $466,000 in Education Benefits
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Shelbra Long, age 58, of Edinburg, Texas, was sentenced today to 1 year and a day in prison for conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Balceniuk of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General (ED OIG) – Eastern Regional Office, made the announcement.
Long previously admitted to engaging in a decade-long scheme to apply for admission and financial aid to online colleges throughout the United States – including one in Albany – in the names of people who had their identities stolen. After the Department of Education disbursed the financial aid to a school, Long and her coconspirators withdrew the purported student from enrollment. The schools refunded the balance of the disbursed financial aid that had not been used to bank accounts controlled by the conspirators. Long used some of that aid to pay utilities for her home, and she withdrew other amounts from ATMs. The Department of Education awarded $466,430 in aid based on the scheme, of which it disbursed $211,820.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “Today’s sentencing punishes Shelbra Long for using stolen identities to shamelessly divert several hundredthousand dollars in federal aid into her own coffers. My Office and our partners will rout out these financial criminals wherever they are. It is time to stop the theft of student aid and for colleges to do more to ensure that the people enrolling in classes are genuine students.”
ED OIG Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Balceniuk said, “I’m proud of the work of OIG special agents and our law enforcement colleagues for shutting down yet another student aid fraud ring and holding Ms. Long accountable for her criminal actions. OIG is committed to fighting student aid fraud and we will continue to aggressively pursue those that participate in these types of crimes.”
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 3-year-term of supervised release; and ordered Long to pay $211,820 in restitution and to forfeit $52,304.
ED OIG investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted.