Home Farmville woman sets up fake company, deposits stolen check for nearly $500K
Virginia News

Farmville woman sets up fake company, deposits stolen check for nearly $500K

Crystal Graham
Wooden gavel with handcuffs and banknotes depicting legal action on financial offenses
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A Farmville woman pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in a scheme where she created a fake company and cashed a stolen check for nearly half a million dollars.

Pia Lawson, 51, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2025, and faces up to 30 years in prison.

According to court documents, on Sept. 21, 2021, a North Carolina business issued a check for $468,477.13 to a subcontractor, Summit Solutionz, Inc., made payable to “Solutionz” and placed the check in the mail.

At some point between Sept. 21 and Sept. 27, 2021, members of the conspiracy stole the check.

On Sept. 27, a member of the conspiracy incorporated “The Solutionz GA, Inc.” in Georgia. Lawson was named the CEO and CFO of Solutionz GA.

On Sept. 28, Lawson opened a business checking account for Solutionz GA and certified that she was the chief executive officer and a beneficial owner of Solutionz GA.

On Sept. 30, Lawson deposited the $468,477.13 check into the Solutionz GA account.

Through a series of financial transactions and transfers, Lawson depleted the fraudulently obtained funds between October and November of 2021, including, for example, the transfer of $65,000 to her personal checking account.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.

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