Shrewsbury Woman Charged With Money Laundering, Securities Fraud

SHREWSBURY, MA—A Shrewsbury woman is facing charges of defrauding two investors, essentially taking their money and promising returns that never came.

On Tuesday, Jessica M. Teixeira, 41, of Shrewsbury, was arrested and appeared in federal court on charges of securities fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced.

Between December 2015 and November 2017, according to court records, Teixeira defrauded two New Hampshire investors by selling to them some securities that supposedly were "guaranteed" and would generate some high returns. She represented herself as a high-yield investment funds solicitor who had connections to various investment groups, said the indictment. The groups, she alleged, raised funds associated with domestic and foreign real estate developments, soliciting financing through private investors.

The indictment alleges that Teixeira's claims to be connected to high-level investment groups were false, and the contracts and notes she sold were worthless, generating no returns. She's simply convert those invested funds into her own personal use, without returning any of the investments, said the report. In total, the Teixeira allegedly got approximately $296,250 from the two investors.

The Court scheduled a trial in Teixeira’s case for December 11, 2018.

“Even as we work to combat opioid trafficking and violent crime, federal law enforcement officers strive diligently to identify and prosecute those involved in fraud schemes here in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray in a statement.

“Today’s arrest serves as a reminder that white-collar criminals often lurk behind overly aggressive high rate-of-return promises,” said Special Agent in Charge Kristina O’Connell, with IRS Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “IRS-CI is proud to bring our financial expertise to these joint investigations to help catch perpetrators and prevent future victims of high-yield investment schemes.”

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