CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Western), published as received.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Tennessee woman was sentenced to prison today for filing bogus deeds for residential real estate in North Carolina and other states and misusing the owners’ personal identifying information (PII), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Alicia, England, 33, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was ordered to serve 75 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay more than $300,000 as restitution. 

“Filing fake deeds and stealing identities can wreak havoc on a victim’s life,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “England left a trail of victims forced to deal with the aftermath of her crimes—for that, she will pay the price.” 

According to court documents and court proceedings, from October 2022 to August 2024, England engaged in a wire fraud scheme by filing fake deeds for residential real estate located in North Carolina and elsewhere. To carry out the scheme, England stole the identity of several victims, alive and deceased, and used their PII to open bank accounts, file fraudulent deeds, and enter into real estate sales for properties she did not actually own. In some cases, she also forged the signatures of notaries, while in others she used fake identifications. She then sold or attempted to sell the properties to third parties through various platforms, including Facebook Marketplace. 

In total, the scheme involved at least 19 properties, including four properties in the Charlotte area, worth more than $1.4 million. Court documents show that England’s fraudulent scheme caused victims significant emotional distress and financial hardship.

England pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked United States Secret Service for the investigation of the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.