KC Reporter

A woman from Seymour, Missouri, has been sentenced for orchestrating a fraud scheme that resulted in losses exceeding $850,000. Renee Delann Clouse, aged 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to a decade in federal prison without the possibility of parole. Additionally, Clouse has been ordered to pay restitution and forfeit an amount totaling $857,618.

Clouse's fraudulent activities involved exploiting the personal identity information of her fellow inmates while serving time for a state drug conviction. After her release from prison, she used this information to illegally secure student loans and tax refunds amounting to $338,610.

The scheme included the fraudulent acquisition of federal education loans on behalf of 18 individuals, resulting in a total of $285,435. An additional sum exceeding $500,000 was directed to educational institutions as part of the fraud, bringing the total value of the scheme to $804,434. Clouse also obtained IRS refunds for 10 other individuals amounting to $53,174.

Despite being aware of an ongoing investigation by federal agents and having agreed to plead guilty, Clouse continued her fraudulent activities. On April 23, 2024, she pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney prosecuted the case which was investigated by the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General based in Kansas City.