FARMVILLE, VA – Pia Lawson, 51, of Farmville, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for her involvement in a scheme to cash a stolen check worth nearly half a million dollars, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted Lawson’s plea during the hearing, according to the department’s statement.
The fraud scheme began on September 21, 2021, when a North Carolina business issued a check for $468,477.13 to its subcontractor, Summit Solutionz, Inc. The check was made payable to “Solutionz” and mailed to the company. Six days later, Lawson fraudulently named herself “CEO” and “CFO” of a newly created company called Solutionz GA, the department reported.
The next day, Lawson opened a business checking account for Solutionz GA at a local bank, listing herself as the beneficial owner and CEO. On September 30, 2021, she deposited the $468,477.13 check into the new account.
After depositing the stolen funds, Lawson allegedly engaged in a series of financial transactions to deplete the money. Between October and November 2021, she transferred funds from the account, including a $65,000 transfer into her personal checking account, according to authorities.
Lawson is scheduled for sentencing on March 18, 2025. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. However, sentences for federal crimes typically fall below the maximum penalties. A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.