A 34-year-old former Tucson woman was sentenced to over a year in prison for scheming to defraud Syrian refugees, authorities say.
Nidal Awawdah, aka Kifah Dalia, who currently lives in California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 14 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona.
From December 2016 to August 2017, Awawdah created a relationship with numerous Syrian refugees, establishing herself as a trusted source and befriending them. Also acting as their translator, she helped them settle in Tucson. Once the trust was solidified, she used it to defraud the victims, gaining access into their personal information and stealing their identities, the release says.
Prosecutors say Awawdah opened credit card accounts in the refugees’ names and made thousands of dollars in unauthorized purchases. She also used at least one someone's stolen identity to get student loans, the release said.
Awawdah pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud Jan. 25, the release said.
