HOUSTON – A woman who was expected to begin her prison sentence after being found guilty of selling fake Texas license plates is on the run and investigators are asking for your help to find her.
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Back in May 2023, Leidy Areli Hernandez Lopez, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which stemmed from her role in selling temporary Texas license plates. She was sentenced to serve 30 months in federal prison and pay over $316,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, Lopez and co-conspirators used the internet to buy and sell the fraudulent state-issued buyer tags and exchange proceeds from the illegal tag sales.
As part of her plea, Lopez acknowledged she and her co-conspirators emailed fake buyer tags to purchasers all over the United States, including New York and Washington, D.C.
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She also admitted her co-conspirators submitted fake information to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a fraudulently used car dealer license to print and sell state-issued buyer tags, and shared the fraud proceeds via electronic payment services such as Cash App and Zelle.
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Lopez was expected to report to federal prison before 2 p.m. on April 9, 2024, but prosecutors said she failed to do so.
The FBI is working in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, to find Lopez—now considered a fugitive with an outstanding warrant for her arrest.
She could face an additional five years in federal prison if convicted. Anyone who has information on Lopez’s whereabouts is asked to call the FBI’s Houston office at 713-693-5000.