GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – A 31-year-old Green Bay woman accused of multiple counts of fraud has received deferred prosecution and a dozen years of extended supervision.
Court records show Josephine Martinez-Vera was granted 16 years of deferred prosecution or sentencing and 12 years of extended supervision for several fraud-related charges.
Green Bay man found not guilty by reason of mental disease in Bellin Health threat case
Deferred prosecution is an agreement in which a prosecutor delays filing charges, or sentencing, provided the defendant meets specific conditions set by the court.
The case stems from a July 6, 2023, incident where a victim reported unauthorized charges on his bank account. According to the complaint, eight fraudulent transactions were made at Festival Foods in Suamico.
Surveillance footage helped authorities identify Martinez-Vera as the person picking up the mobile grocery orders. When contacted, she claimed she was responding to a Craigslist advertisement for grocery pickups.
Authorities noted that several purchases included gift cards. When asked to search her phone, she provided a newer device and said her old phone was no longer in her possession. That same day, deputies found her previous phone in her vehicle’s parking lot.
A search of the phone revealed internet searches including “can authorities recover deleted text messages if SIM card is changed” and “how to create fake text messages with a previous day and time.”
On Aug. 17, 2023, investigators spoke with the manager of a Green Bay auto repair shop where Martinez-Vera previously worked as a receptionist. She was reportedly fired for allegedly stealing money from a customer’s vehicle.
Martinez-Vera was arrested on Aug. 21, 2023, and provided a written statement. In it, she admitted to accessing a customer’s card information from the repair shop’s computer system and making eight purchases at Festival Foods. She also admitted to taking pictures of other cards and attempting to use them, though they did not work.
Door County woman found not guilty by reason of mental disease in Oneida Casino threat case
She further confessed to fabricating the story about picking up groceries on someone else’s behalf.
With sentencing complete, the criminal case against Martinez-Vera has concluded.
