Fresno Woman Awaits Sentencing in Big Identity Theft Scheme

A 36-year-old Fresno woman awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in federal court on Tuesday to bank fraud and identity theft.

Bobbi Jo Heiss (Fresno County SO)

According to court documents, Bobbi Jo Heiss stole debit cards, checks, identity documents, and banking information between August 2020 and September 2021. She then proceeded to make fraudulent purchases, cash checks, and open unauthorized lines of credit.

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The scheme caused at least $250,000 in actual and attempted loss during that year-long period, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release. In one example, Heiss presented a check for $57,767 to a Fresno car dealership with the name and driver’s license number of an identity theft victim to buy a 2017 GMC Sierra.

This case is 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 Carbajal is prosecuting the case.

Heiss is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Aug. 21.