MIAMI – After the use of a pretend driving force’s license to get a personal jet from Florida to California and the use of COVID-19-related aid loans to reside a lifetime of luxury, a social media influencer from Miami has been sentenced to 5 years in jail, the Department of Justice showed in a press release Thursday.
Danielle “Dani” Miller, 33, the daughter of the previous president of the New York State Bar Association, pleaded accountable on March 6 to a few counts of twine fraud and two counts of annoyed identification robbery in federal courtroom, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors mentioned Miller often used social media to flash Prada, Fendi, Dior, Valentino, Louboutin, Gucci, Hermes, Rolex, and different symbols of her extravagant way of life. She claimed to come back from previous New York cash when she confirmed off non-public jets, a Rolls Royce, and a Porsche — all whilst residing in a Miami luxury apartment.
From in or round July 2020 via May 2021, investigators mentioned Miller created and done scheme to fraudulently download pandemic-related aid loans funded via the government – together with Economic Injury Disaster Loan price range throughout the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in addition to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and linked unemployment advantages.
“Ms. Miller isn’t an influencer, she is a convicted felon. She stole the identities of innocent people to steal over $1.2 million in pandemic-relief loans that should have gone to people in need. In a quest for fleeting social media stardom, Ms. Miller relied on fraud to fund a lavish lifestyle of private jets, luxury apartments other accoutrements of wealth. Today’s sentencing should make it crystal clear that curating a high-society social media presence on the backs of hardworking taxpayers is a path to prison, not fleeting fame,” mentioned Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy in Thursday’s press unencumber.
Miller’s felony document contains a number of fraud-related arrests in (*5*), and 2021. She used to be on the heart of investigations when she flaunted her black GPS ankle track on a “#housearrest” TikTok post that were given over 2,000 hearts.
“I can truly say that I wholeheartedly enjoy carrying out plans and involving myself in challenging experiences,” she wrote in her Linkedin bio.
Prosecutors mentioned Miller additionally possessed counterfeit driving force’s licenses within the sufferers’ names however bearing Miller’s {photograph}.
In August 2020, detectives mentioned Miller used a counterfeit driving force’s license within the identify of a Massachusetts sufferer to organize a Gulfstream non-public jet constitution flight from Florida to California, the place she stayed at a luxury lodge below the similar sufferer’s identify. In a separate example, Miller used the identification of some other sufferer to hire a luxury apartment in Florida, in keeping with investigators.
Miller has maintained an energetic social media presence by means of her Instagram account, which has greater than 34,000 fans. There, government mentioned Miller posted her extravagant use of the fraud proceeds and stolen identities, publicizing her buying of luxury items and renting of luxury lodging.
Posts to the account incorporated a video appearing Miller at luxury resorts in California the place transactions had been made the use of the checking account in probably the most sufferer’s names, detectives mentioned.
“I more so consider myself a con artist than anything,” Miller told New York Magazine last year. “You know how they have that saying that you can sell ice to an Eskimo? If there’s something that I want, I’m getting it.”
The investigation used to be performed via Miami’s Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force.
Local 10 News virtual journalist Andrea Torres contributed to this tale.
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