Florida Instagram Star Admits to $1 Million COVID Aid Fraud

A Florida Instagram star and self-proclaimed scam artist pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding the U.S. government of more than $1 million in loans related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle that she showed off on Instagram.

After being arrested on fraud counts, social media influencer Danielle Miller stood before a federal judge in Boston by video to plead guilty. Her frauds and other cases were detailed in a feature published in New York Magazine last year.

The 33-year-old consented to a plea agreement with the prosecution, forfeiting $1.3 million in exchange for a six-year jail sentence, 16 months of which may overlap with the five-year sentence she was given in October for a different Florida bank fraud case.

The court scheduled her sentencing for June 27, according to Reuters.

Miller allegedly obtained more than $1 million in pandemic-related loans for small enterprises using the identities of more than ten different people, according to the prosecution.

Using a bank account in the name of one of her victims, she used the money to fund her travels and indulge in a variety of high-end purchases, including a Rolex, a Louis Vuitton bag, and Dior shoes, all of which she flaunted on Instagram alongside images of herself in opulent California hotel rooms.

Florida Instagram Star Danielle Miller's Lavish Life

Social media posts by Danielle "Dani" Miller often included designer goods from Prada, Fendi, Dior, Valentino, Louboutin, Gucci, Hermes, and Rolex brands.

Flashing private aircraft, a Rolls-Royce, and a Porsche while residing in an opulent Miami condominium with a view of Biscayne Bay, the Florida Instagram star gave the impression that she came from old New York money, said Local 10.

The former Pepperdine law student used fraud to fund the extravagant lifestyle she presented to her tens of thousands of Instagram and TikTok followers, according to federal authorities.

"I can truly say that I wholeheartedly enjoy carrying out plans and involving myself in challenging experiences," she wrote in her Linkedin bio.

Miller pled guilty to three charges of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft on Monday, according to federal authorities.

Miller's father is the former New York State Bar Association president.

Danielle Miller's Influencer Status Ended in 2021

Danielle Miller's extravagant lifestyle, which she flaunted on Instagram, ended when she was detained in May 2021 at her opulent Miami, Florida, condo.

Miller pled guilty via video conference to counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on Monday morning in Boston federal court.

Miller's account captivated the audience while highlighting the widespread deception that accompanied the government's haste to disperse nearly $5 trillion in relief payments to individuals, corporations, and governments across the United States in the wake of the pandemic.

The White House announced this week that U.S. President Joe Biden intends to seek Congress for $1.6 billion in additional cash to combat fraud connected to the relief programs.

Almost a thousand persons have been convicted of fraud concerning federal COVID relief, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported last month, Al Jazeera reports.

Miller stated that she considered herself a "con artist" in a February 2022 interview with New York Magazine.

Miller was once a student at the elite Horace Mann School, but the story explains how her lavish lifestyle depended on criminal activity.

Miller was previously arrested and served time for using counterfeit credit cards at a New York City spa.

After the Florida Instagram star was released, she then used the names of more than ten people to fraudulently open bank accounts and got pandemic-related loans meant for small businesses, said the prosecutors.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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