Massachusetts woman indicted for allegedly defrauding elderly uncle of $400,000 of life’s savings

BOSTON – A Saugus woman was indicted last week in connection with a scheme to defraud her elderly uncle of his life’s savings.

Jayne Carbone, 52, was indicted on four counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft. Carbone was arrested in December 2019.

According to the indictment, between approximately January 2017 and September 2018, Carbone stole over $400,000 from her elderly uncle, whose personal finances she managed. It is alleged that she fraudulently withdrew funds from his brokerage account and transferred funds from his personal checking account to bank accounts held by Carbone and members of her immediate family for personal use. To further and conceal the scheme, Carbone allegedly provided her uncle with falsified statements for his accounts reflecting inflated balances.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Wright of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.