United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Marshall, Minnesota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Angelica Marie Hatch-Pequin, age 27, was indicted on March 7, 2017. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica Duffy on March 14, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalties upon conviction for each count are as follows: Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud has a penalty of up to 30 years of imprisonment and/or a $1,000,000 fine; Aggravated Identity Theft requires a mandatory 2 years of imprisonment to be served consecutively to any term of imprisonment for the Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud offense; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine has a penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment and/or a $1,000,000 fine. Each count of conviction requires a term of years of supervised release and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution and forfeiture may also be ordered.
According to the indictment, between September 2016 and November 16, 2016, Hatch-Pequin engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions, while using the personal identifying information of other individuals. Hatch-Pequin would use the proceeds of the fraud scheme to purchase methamphetamine for her use, and to distribute to others for money.
The charges are merely accusations and Hatch-Pequin is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Flandreau Police Department, and the Flandreau Sioux Tribe’s Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Hatch-Pequin was ordered detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.