SARASOTA, Fla. – Former social media influencer Danielle Miller was sentenced Monday to 16 years in prison by a Sarasota Circuit Court judge for defrauding the federal government out of $1 million in pandemic-related disaster loans.
Miller had pleaded guilty to 38 counts of fraudulently using personal identification information. Prosecutors say she arrived in Florida in 2020 during the pandemic, traveling with co-defendant Ciera Blas.
Miller orchestrated an elaborate scheme using stolen identities to defraud banks across the state. The scam was uncovered when a bank manager alerted the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, leading to her arrest.
In 2023, Miller was convicted in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in pandemic loans using the identities of more than 10 individuals. She spent the funds on personal luxuries, including chartering a private jet and renting a waterfront villa in Miami for $27,000 a month, and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Investigators revealed that Miller communicated with accomplices abroad, including in Nigeria, to acquire personal information through mail theft, phishing, and social engineering. She then used this network to obtain credit reports, driver’s licenses, and credit cards from people across the U.S., draining accounts and purchasing luxury items.
Following her arrest, Miller gained notoriety, becoming the subject of articles in New York Magazine and multiple television documentaries.
