9 People Indicted For Stealing Hundreds Of Thousands From Tampa School

TAMPA, FL — United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the unsealing of an indictment charging nine people with conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving a Tampa institution of higher education.

Andrea Mitchell, 53, of Tampa, Lester Best, 54, of Tampa, Gloria Gutierrez, 51, of Lakeland, Sylvester Robinson, 57, of Temple Terrace, Neukenya Jokines, 52, of Riverview, Kinya Lillie, 52, of Tampa, Jewel Jordan, 52, of Brandon, Andre Wright, 54, of Hinesville, Georgia, and Rozaundra Lillie, 53, of Tampa, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Mitchell is further charged with aggravated identity theft. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. If convicted for aggravated identity theft, Mitchell also faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, in addition to the sentence imposed for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The indictment also notifies all nine people that the government intends to confiscate all proceeds traced to the crime.

According to the indictment, Mitchell served as a financial services manager at a higher education institution in Tampa from November 2013 to January 2019.

The FBI, which investigated the case, said Mitchell and her conspirators used her position to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial aid. To steal the funds, the FBI said Mitchell stole the identities of hundreds of current and former students at the higher education institution, then issued checks to her conspirators using those funds. The conspirators cashed the checks at various financial institutions and shared the proceeds.

In addition to the FBI, the case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the United States Secret Service.