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Va. man pleads guilty after ‘Supergirl’ foils fraud scheme

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man whose multiple fraud schemes unraveled in part after he used a Hollywood actress’ photo on a fake passport has pleaded guilty to identity theft and fraud charges.

Forty-four-year-old Amit Chaudhry of Ashburn pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria to charges he helped bilk more than 1,000 victims out of more than $25 million through a variety of schemes over the past five years.

Passport fraud, phony travel websites and bogus billing schemes were among the various frauds.

In creating fake IDs, Chaudhry and co-conspirators scoured the internet for mugshots that looked like ID photos. Officials said one fake passport used a photo of actress Laura Vandervoort, who played Supergirl on the show “Smallville.” Investigators recognized her, which helped expose the scheme.

Loudoun Co. unpaved roads make Va.’s endangered historic places list

Many people don't realize Loudoun County, Virginia, has 300 miles of unpaved roads until their car's navigation system takes them from a busy commuter route onto an unexpected gravel road. Preservation Virginia — a privately-funded, statewide historical preservation group — has added Loudoun County's rural road network to its "2020 Virginia's Most Endangered Historic Places" list.
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