Sentencing date set for Santa Paula man accused in Russian election meddling case

Megan Diskin | Ventura

Show Caption Hide Caption The local link to Russia election-meddling probe Santa Paula resident Richard Pinedo pleaded guilty to identity fraud in an operation that authorities say helped Russian efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election.

Sentencing has been scheduled in October for the Santa Paula man who pleaded guilty to unknowingly helping the Russians meddle in the 2016 presidential election.

Richard Pinedo, 28, is expected to be sentenced at 10 a.m. Oct. 1 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to a court order signed July 2 by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich.

Pinedo faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine in connection with his February plea, which was part of an agreement with federal prosecutors.

Pinedo’s attorney Jeremy Lessem previously told The Star his client won’t get anywhere near the maximum in part because the plea agreement takes into account Pinedo’s lack of criminal history.

MORE: Santa Paula man pleads guilty to helping Russians meddle in 2016 election

The Santa Paula man was swept up in the ongoing investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

According to court documents, Pinedo operated an online service called Auction Essistance to circumvent online digital payment companies’ security features.

“Many of the bank accounts purchased by Pinedo over the internet were created using stolen identities of U.S. persons. Although Pinedo was not directly involved in the registration of these accounts using stolen identities, he willfully and intentionally avoided learning about the use of stolen identities,” the documents state.

Hundreds of pieces of bank account information were used, and Pinedo allegedly collected tens of thousands of dollars through the sale of the accounts. Court documents state that the sales took place from 2014 through November 2017, which coincides with Russia’s larger alleged plot.

MORE: Santa Paulan awaits sentencing in alleged Russian meddling case