Two New York residents are facing the possibility of decades in federal prison after prosecutors unsealed a massive 68-count indictment against them this week.
Mayovanet Fermin, 26, and Frnsheska Fermin, 25, both from Yonkers, are accused of arranging a complicated plot to divert hundreds of thousands of dollars from government initiatives created to assist Americans during the pandemic.
Related posts
The indictment, issued by a federal grand jury on August 19, 2025 and revealed following their October 3 arraignment, says that the pair turned stolen identities into cash for nearly 18 months.
According to U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller, the Fermins allegedly collected and sold lists of personally identifiable information (PII) from unknowing victims between January 2020 and July 2021. Prosecutors claim the duo used the stolen data to file fake federal income tax returns, claim Economic Impact Payments, and seek for pandemic unemployment benefits.
According to the indictment, by the time the plan was terminated, the Fermins had fraudulently obtained over $400,000 in payments.
The defendants face numerous accusations, including conspiracy to defraud the government, mail and wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft.
If convicted of the most serious offenses, they may face a statutory maximum of 30 years in jail, as well as large penalties and supervised release.
The IRS Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service worked together to conduct the investigation. Sarah R. Lloyd, an Assistant United States Attorney, is prosecuting the case.
