Peruvian woman charged with identity crimes in Wichita

A woman from Peru who came to the United States in 2005 on a visitor’s visa has been charged with identity theft and document fraud, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Jennifer Leyva, 35, who has lived in Wichita since at least 2013, is alleged to have used at least three different identities to get jobs at several area businesses, according to a news release.

Leyva was arrested on Tuesday. She was scheduled to make an initial court appearance today in federal court in Wichita.

A federal grand jury indicted Leyva last week on 10 criminal counts, including two counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of identity document fraud, and four counts of misuse of a Social Security number, the release said.

The charges, according to a grand jury indictment, relate to the defendant’s employment at a number of health care-related businesses in the Wichita area.

If convicted, Leyva faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting the case.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 9:10 AM with the headline "Peruvian woman charged with identity crimes in Wichita."