Kauai woman gets 17-years for ‘staggering’ tax, fraud schemes
A 51-year-old Kauai woman will spend 17 years in federal prison and pay more than $5 million in fines and restitution for running multiple fraud schemes over eight years that targeted students applying for loans and scholarships, tax refunds, and credit card applications.
In addition to nearly two decades behind bars, U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ordered that Leihinahina Sullivan, 51, aka “Lei,” of Lihue, must serve three years of supervised release after she pleaded guilty in July 2021 to three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft related to “multiple long-running fraudulent schemes,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“This 17-year sentence holds Sullivan accountable for the damage she caused by her years-long fraudulent schemes, the money she stole from individuals in her community and public and private institutions, and her repeated and willful rejection of the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors in a statement. “This sentence will stop Sullivan from continuing to prey on vulnerable members of our community who unwittingly trusted her manipulation and lies.”
