A third person involved in a conspiracy to steal $4 million from the city of Lexington while posing as a nonprofit has pleaded guilty to federal offenses.
Jean Mejia-Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to money laundering and aggravated identity theft on Jan. 16, according to court documents.
Garcia faces up to 22 years in prison for both counts and fines up to $750,000. Once released, he will be under supervision for up to four years.
Garcia operated in New York and New Jersey alongside other co-conspirators, who have already been sentenced, to procure fake or real identities and open bank accounts in their name, according to court documents.
His Kentucky charges stem from an operation where he, Shimea McDonald and Nana Amuah, emailed the city of Lexington pretending to be from the Community Action Council , convincing a city official to wire money owed to the nonprofit organization into a bank account at Truist Bank that belonged to the conspirators, according to court documents.