PORTLAND, Maine : A New York woman was sentenced on August 31, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Portland for bank fraud, false use of a passport, and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Arlene Sands , 61, to 25 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Sands will also be ordered to pay restitution. Sands pleaded guilty on July 16, 2025.
According to court records, in February 2023, Sands attempted to withdraw $17,000 from a credit union account belonging to two victims. Sands claimed to be one of the victims and presented a fake United States passport card, which bore her image but the victim’s name and date of birth, as identification. Credit union staff did not complete the transaction.
The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service investigated the case, with assistance from the Portland Police Department.
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Maine — U.S. Department of Justice press release.