A
couple from Staten Island, New York, have been living an over-the-top fairy
tale for the past five years - but all that changed Wednesday when the pair
were indicted on charges of identity theft and corruption after bragging about
their misbegotten riches on Facebook.
Amanda
Zieminski, known by her nickname 'Meme Zee,' worked for eight years as a nurse
at the medical office of South Shore Physicians in Staten Island, where
prosecutors say the 26-year-old stole personal information from patients that
was used to order new debit and credit cards.
Zieminski,
her fiance, aspiring rapper Clyde 'C-Money CEO' Forteau, 29, and their three
suspected accomplices allegedly used the misappropriated cards to withdraw
nearly $700,000 in cash, which the couple used to buy high-end jewellery,
premium tickets to sporting events and go on a romantic Disney World vacation.
And
the accused thieved were not shy about their newfound wealth.
Both
Forteau and Zieminski have been bragging about their lavish lifestyle on social
media sites.
Officials
say the 29-year-old suspect is seen in Facebook photos sitting in pricey seats
at the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat
and taking in a Jets game from field level, the Staten Island Advance reported.
‘Seeing
so many homeless people on my way to work makes me realize how blessed I am,’
Zieminski wrote on June 28.
A
series of pictures and a YouTube video posted on Zieminski's page also show the
couple living it up in Orlando, Florida, where Forteau had proposed marriage to
the 26-year-old at Cinderella's castle.
'I'm
living a fairy tale!!' the blushing bride gushed in a Facebook post after the
April proposal.
For
the high-flying couple, their charmed existence came to an abrupt end on
Wednesday when Zieminski, Forteau, his 24-year-old brother, Jerome ‘It’s Holly’
Forteau; 25-year-old Abdel ‘Chips’ Yousef and 52-year-old Carmen Rivera, were
hit with identity theft and dozens of other criminal counts.
According
to District Attorney Daniel Donovan, it all started in 2008 when Zieminski, who
was working as a nurse at the Hyland Boulevard medical practice, stole about 80
patient files, deliberately targeting the elderly, and passed them on to her
boyfriend.
The
suspects then used personal information like Social Security numbers to order
debits cards, apply for credit cards and even file income taxes to steal their
victims' tax refunds, according to prosecutors.
In
total, investigators believe the criminal ring swiped at least $675,000 from
unsuspecting patients.
The
money went towards luxury items like baubles, cars, parties at exclusive clubs
and expensive tickets to basketball and football games.
'I'm
living a fairy tale!!' the blushing bride gushed in a Facebook post after the
April proposal.
For
the high-flying couple, their charmed existence came to an abrupt end on
Wednesday when Zieminski, Forteau, his 24-year-old brother, Jerome ‘It’s Holly’
Forteau; 25-year-old Abdel ‘Chips’ Yousef and 52-year-old Carmen Rivera, were
hit with identity theft and dozens of other criminal counts.
According
to District Attorney Daniel Donovan, it all started in 2008 when Zieminski, who
was working as a nurse at the Hyland Boulevard medical practice, stole about 80
patient files, deliberately targeting the elderly, and passed them on to her
boyfriend.
The
suspects then used personal information like Social Security numbers to order
debits cards, apply for credit cards and even file income taxes to steal their
victims' tax refunds, according to prosecutors.
In
total, investigators believe the criminal ring swiped at least $675,000 from
unsuspecting patients.
The
money went towards luxury items like baubles, cars, parties at exclusive clubs
and expensive tickets to basketball and football games.
Reference: dailymail
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