Pulaski Woman Convicted of Bank Fraud and Social Security Fraud

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of New York

UTICA, NEW YORK – Wanda Gilpin, age 71, of Pulaski, New York, pled guilty to six counts of bank fraud and two counts of misuse of a social security number, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), New York Field Office announced.

At the change of plea, Gilpin admitted to applying for multiple credit cards and loans using the personally identifiable information of other individuals, including a deceased relative. After Gilpin received the credit cards, she used the cards for personal expenses and incurred balances on each credit card that reached the credit limit assigned to that card.  Gilpin also obtained an automobile loan and personal loan.  In total, Gilpin was able to obtain lines of credit and loans totaling $24,909.68 from six different financial institutions.

Gilpin is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior United States Judge David N. Hurd on May 7, 2025. She faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the bank fraud charges and a maximum sentence of 5 years and a fine of up to $250,000 for the social security fraud charges. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by the judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The SSA-OIG is investigating the case, and the case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian LaRochelle.