Jefferson County woman sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for defrauding elderly victim out of $1.4 million

BEAUMONT, Texas - A Port Arthur woman has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay over $1.4 million in restitution in a wire fraud scam in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Joanne Schiwart, 28, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 10, 2025. Schiwart was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,464,761.47.

According to information presented in court, as part of the fraud scheme over the course of a year, Schiwart wired over $1.4 million from an elderly victim's retirement accounts by contacting the investment company by phone and using personally identifying information to impersonate the victim and mislead the investment company into thinking they were speaking with the account holder. Among other things, Schiwart used the stolen money to purchase multiple vehicles for herself and as gifts for others.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Jackson.

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