BOISE – Luisa Lamonthe, 29, of Oakland, Calif., has been sentenced to 44 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated battery. The sentence was handed down Monday in federal court in Boise, according to U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson.
U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge ordered Lamonthe to pay restitution of $140,700 to the victims. She pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2011.
According to the plea agreement, Lamonthe admitted that on Jan. 13, 2011, she entered Wells Fargo Bank branches in Meridian and Eagle, and impersonated bank customers with the intent to commit bank fraud. Her crimes were caught on the banks’ security cameras.
Authorities arrested Lamonthe near a Wells Fargo Bank in Boise accompanied by Janelyn Dasig, who was charged separately. A male accomplice, Justine Lingatong, eluded police in Idaho but was later arrested in Arkansas.
Lingatong, 24, of Carson, Calif., pleaded guilty Monday to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to his plea agreement, on seven occasions between Jan. 11 and Jan. 13, 2011, he entered Wells Fargo Bank branches in the Treasure Valley and presented false ID and impersonated a bank account holder. He admitted to withdrawing funds from the victims’ account on each occasion he was in the bank.
Both Lamonthe and Lingatong admitted they committed similar bank frauds in Arizona and Utah. Lingatong also admitted similar frauds in New Mexico. The total of all of these frauds was $225,660. Lamonthe’s restitution of $140,700 is part of this total.
Lingatong is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on April 16, 2012. He faces up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and up to five years supervised release for bank fraud. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum term of two years in prison, consecutive to other counts, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release for up to one year.
Janelyn Dasig, 27, of San Francisco, Calif., was sentenced on Dec. 6, 2011, to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay $18,300 in restitution to the victims. She pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in Idaho.
