Nashua Impostor Faces Federal Charges: Officials

NASHUA, NH — An impostor who lied her way to a Nashua municipal grant writing position after committing "significant fraud schemes" across the country now faces federal charges, authorities announced this week. Dana Lawrence, 43, was recently indicted for social security fraud, according to acting U.S. Attorney John Farley. Nashua police arrested her last month and they said they uncovered her scheme.

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Lawrence was previously charged with identity fraud and held on $100,000 bail. Police said she criss-crossed the country during her fraud spree, hitting nearly a dozen states from California to Maine over the last 12 years.

Nashua police Lieutenant Craig Allard said Lawrence was arrested after Mayor Jim Donchess' staff tipped off police. Lawrence worked as a volunteer grant writer for the city under the fake name "Genevieve Kaplan," police said.

"'Kaplan' was not following city grant writing protocol and ... it had been learned that 'Kaplan' had been attempting to obtain City of Nashua financial account information," Allard said in a statement.

Allard said officers launched an investigation and determined the suspect's real name was Dana Michelle Lawrence. She was living at a residence on Jefferson Street, Allard said.

Lawrence has a warrant out of Rhode Island for obtaining money under false pretenses. Allard said she's lived in California, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Maine. The FBI is investigating possible fraud cases she committed in those states.

Police said she's been using these aliases and ages:

• Genevieve Kaplan, 43 years old
• Genna Kaplan, 43
• Genevieve Logan Morgan, 41
• Tunisia Viana, 37
• Dana Lawrence, 43

Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess said the city did not suffer a financial loss during Lawrence's time as a grant writer.

"(It) is clearly an isolated case," Donchess said in a statement. “The City of Nashua has a longstanding culture of volunteerism and relies on hundreds of volunteers to support our activities ... I want to thank the Nashua Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for acting so quickly to help protect the City and the broader Nashua community.”

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Photo: Dana Lawrence. (Credit: Nashua Police Department)