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Earlier today, a Miami-based social media influencer was sentenced to five years in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in pandemic-related loans. With more than 34,000 followers on Instagram, she showcased a luxurious lifestyle funded through the stolen identities of innocent individuals.
According to a press release by the U.S Department of Justice, Danielle Miller pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in March 2023. From July 2020 through May 2021, she fraudulently acquired federal government-funded pandemic aid, such as Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), as well as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and five other state workforce agencies.
Using more than 10 stolen identities, Miller applied for over $1 million in government benefits under fake business names. She also held counterfeit driver's licenses in the victims' names but bearing her photograph. One particular incident in August 2020 saw her chartering a Gulfstream private jet from Florida to California using the stolen identity of a Massachusetts victim, where she later stayed at a luxury hotel.
As an "influencer", Miller showcased her unscrupulous behavior on her Instagram account. Her extravagant expenses ranged from the purchase of luxury goods to renting high-end accommodations–all fueled by ill-gotten gains. "Ms. Miller isn't an influencer, she is a convicted felon," Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy emphasized in the press release.
