Bakersfield Brothers Sentenced for Roles in Multiple Fraud Schemes

FRESNO, Calif. — For their roles in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, today, Charles Abieanga, 31, of Bakersfield, was sentenced to five years and five months in prison and his brother Simon Abieanga, 28, of Bakersfield, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Charles Abieanga was ordered to pay $505,695 in restitution, and Simon Abieanga was ordered to pay $326,832 in restitution.

According to court documents, Charles Abieanga was sentenced to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft for his role in three different fraud schemes. The first scheme involved submitting false claims to the California Employment Development Department and obtaining benefits associated with those claims. The second scheme involved impersonating a supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) and defrauding hospitals by selling non-existent medical supplies including surgical gowns and N-95 protective masks. The third scheme involved the sale of non-existent pets, horses, and vehicles to victims online.

Simon Abieanga was sentenced for his role in one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in two separate, but similar, fraud schemes. The first scheme involved submitting false claims to the California Employment Development Department and obtaining benefits associated with those claims. Simon Abieanga’s second scheme involved the sale of non-existent pets, horses, and vehicles to victims online.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the California Employment Development Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Joseph D. Barton are prosecuting the case.