CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — A New Jersey woman has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for conducting an investment scheme in which victims from West Virginia and elsewhere lost more than $300,000.
Diana Mae Fernandez, 38, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, also known as “Diana Fernandez Koporan,” “Dana Fernandez,” and “Dajana Ko,” pleaded guilty on Friday according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).
Fernandez told victims she operated investment firms called “The Self Made Success” and “Diana Mae K., LLC,” and used social media to solicit investors with promises of “no-risk” and “guaranteed” investment opportunities, the DOJ said.
Fernandez used the money for her personal benefit instead and made false claims about why returns on investments could not be provided to her clients, the release said.
One of her victims was a Marion County, West Virginia resident who was defrauded of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the DOJ.
“We should always approach investment opportunities that promise high returns and no risk with skepticism,” U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld said in the press release. “One way to protect yourself before investing is to use the FINRA BrokerCheck, a valuable tool that’s free and allows you to research the background and experience of financial brokers, advisers, and firms.”
Fernandez faces up to 20 years in prison upon her sentencing.
