Guilty Plea in Wire Fraud and Identity Theft Case: Kenneth Richmond Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Kenneth Richmond, a 64-year-old New Orleans resident, pled guilty on May 9, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Richmond faces up to 20 years in prison and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a special assessment fee of $100 for each count.

Key Takeaways:

• Richmond pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on May 9, 2025.
• He faces up to 20 years in prison and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft.
• Richmond was involved in a scheme to use fake and stolen personal identifying information to make fraudulent vehicle purchases from a local car dealership.
• The scheme caused a loss of approximately $124,031.41 to the dealership.
• Richmond knowingly used a real person's name, date of birth, and Social Security Number, without permission, to purchase a Dodge Challenger in July 2022.
• The U.S. Attorney's Office acknowledged the work of the United States Secret Service, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety.
• The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.

Statistics:

• Richmond faces up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
• He faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft.
• The scheme caused a loss of approximately $124,031.41 to the dealership.
• Richmond faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a special assessment fee of $100 for each count.

Sources:

• Office of United States Attorney
• U.S. Department of Justice
• New Orleans Times