Fresno Woman Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud and Identity Theft

FRESNO, Calif. — Bobbi Jo Heiss, 37, of Fresno, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between August 2020 and September 2021, Heiss engaged in a scheme to steal debit cards, checks, identity documents, and banking information in order to make fraudulent purchases, cash checks, and open unauthorized lines of credit. The scheme caused at least $250,000 in actual and attempted loss during a year-long period. For example, as part of the scheme, on April 30, 2021, Heiss presented a check for $57,767 to a car dealership in Fresno with the name and driver’s license number of an identity theft victim in order to purchase a 2017 truck.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office - Elder Abuse Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Z. Carbajal III prosecuted the case.