HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that three Oakland, California women were sentenced by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary for their roles in a cross-country fraud scheme. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Judge Neary recently sentenced Chartanae Ajanee Lovely, age 29, Davida Algie Fortenberry, age 30, and Laje Elise Ford, age 30, for their involvement in a years-long fraud scheme. All defendants were required to pay restitution and were sentenced as follows: On August 26, 2026, Ford was sentenced to 6 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
On September 1, 2026, Fortenberry was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. On September 22, 2026, Lovely was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The women pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They were caught in 2021 by members of the Susquehanna Township Police after they used stolen bank account information to buy gift cards at a Giant Food Store. Investigators uncovered that Fortenberry, Lovely, and Ford had flown in that day from Oakland, California, to Pittsburgh where they rented a car and drove to five different Giant Food Stores across Central Pennsylvania. At the stores, they bought thousands of dollars in gift cards using the stolen bank account information. The stolen bank account information was from Middle Eastern banks, including Emirates NBD Bank, Gulf International Bank, and Saudi National Bank. Police also found that the women had flown to Pennsylvania two weeks before and did the same thing at Giant Food Stores in the Philadelphia area. Thereafter, investigators uncovered that Fortenberry, Lovely, and Ford had been a part of a multi-year fraud scheme doing similar conduct at retailers across the nation. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Susquehanna Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio prosecuted the case. # # #