KENTUCKY — The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky has sentenced two people for defrauding freight companies and committing disaster fraud, according to the USDOT Department of the Inspector General.
Alien Saavedra has been sentenced to 60 months of supervised release, 80 hours of community service and a $200 special assessment. Co-conspirator Yeniseis Saavedra was sentenced to 42 months of incarceration, 36 months of supervised release and a $500 special assessment fee. Additionally, both were ordered to pay $156,148 in joint restitution.
In November 2024, Yeniseis and Alien Saavedra pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and disaster fraud. Yeniseis Saavedra also pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and aggravated identity theft.
Defrauding Factoring Companies
According to court documents, the co-conspirators defrauded factoring companies, businesses that provide customers with immediate cash flow by purchasing their outstanding customer invoices at a discount, by submitting false bills of lading and other documentation. Additionally, Alien received low wage assistance payments authorized by a Presidential Memorandum resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, but Yeniseis and Alien Saavedra failed to report Alien’s earned wages.
Additionally, Yeniseis submitted false information on an FMCSA application on behalf of another person without their knowledge. Yeniseis also filed and received low wage assistance payments authorized by a Presidential Memorandum resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic with the Kentucky Office of Unemployment on behalf of another person; however, that person was not aware of and never received those benefits.
DOT-OIG is working on this investigation with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Department of Labor-OIG.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
