RICHMOND, Texas – A Fort Bend County man was indicted for fraud after obtaining nearly $600,000 in financial aid funds at several Texas colleges, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery announced Monday.
Emmanuel Finnih, 39, of Richmond, was arrested on Sept. 30 and was charged with one count each of theft of government funds, student financial fraud, and unlawful use or transfer of identity documents along with four counts of aggravated identity theft.
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According to U.S. Attorney Lowrery, the indictment stated Finnih submitted, and signed fraudulent financial aid applications and master promissory notes using people’s names, emails, and phone numbers. Finnih would also allegedly obtain the money via electronic transfer, check, and prepaid debit cards sent to multiple bank accounts he reportedly designated.
Charges also allege that Finnih was in possession of student documents he stole from two students. The actual loss to the United States is alleged to be over $595,000, according to a release.
If convicted, Finnih could face a minimum of 10 years in federal custody. He is also expected to face an additional five years if he is convicted of student financial aid fraud and two years for each count of aggravated identity theft.