How good can a TikTok influencer make federal prison look?
Danielle Miller, 32, of Miami, Fla., amassed thousands of social media followers — nearly 35,000 on Instagram alone as of Thursday afternoon — advertising her jetsetting and luxurious lifestyle until it all came crashing down and she faced federal charges that her way of life was funded through identity fraud.
She ripped off the regular people, including a resident of Abington, and COVID-era small business assistance grants to finance her lavish lifestyle at least from July 2020 to when the initial federal complaint leveling a charge of wire fraud against her was filed in federal court in Boston on May 10, 2021.
A federal indictment would come two months later. Two more years of legal tassels, during which she appeared to still post to her social media accounts until early October of last year, until she finally copped a plea deal in July, in which she pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
On Thursday, U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV sentenced Miami Dani to five years in federal prison, the time requested in the deal, to be followed by three years of supervised release, as well as an as yet undetermined by sure to be a massive restitution.
It looks like her Instagram claim of “I’m not an influencer” has come true.
“Ms. Miller isn’t an influencer, she is a convicted felon. She stole the identities of innocent people to steal over $1.2 million in pandemic-relief loans that should have gone to people in need,” acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said in a statement following the sentencing. “In a quest for fleeting social media stardom, Ms. Miller relied on fraud to fund a lavish lifestyle of private jets, luxury apartments and other accoutrements of wealth.
“Today’s sentencing should make it crystal clear that curating a high-society social media presence on the backs of hardworking taxpayers is a path to prison, not fleeting fame,” he continued.
In all, Miller used the identities of more than 10 people — she had counterfeit licenses made up with their names but her photo — to prop up fake business names to apply for more than $1 million in government benefits, according to charging documents. This includes programs and organizations including the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, plus similar programs from five other states; the Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration; federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and related unemployment benefits.
Miller’s attorney Mitchell Elman wrote in a pre-sentencing memo that Miller “understands the seriousness of her conduct and how it was inconsistent with her basic morality and behavior. To that end, she has sought to make amends with her family, the victims in this matter, the court, and most importantly, with herself.
“While she is prepared to accept the court’s punishment, she wants you to understand that she is at the crossroads of her life and will be returning to the righteous path upon which she previously traveled. She asks you to give her a chance. You will not be disappointed.”
