Former Tucson resident sentenced to prison for defrauding refugees

PHOENIX — A former Tucson resident was sentenced to 14 months in prison for defrauding refugees, authorities said.

Nidal Awawdah, aka Kifah Dalia, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on Jan. 25.

From Dec. 2016 through Aug. 2017, Awawdah befriended several Syrian refugees and acted as a translator, assisting them in establishing their new lives in Tucson.

She used that position to then defraud the victims, gaining access to the victims’ personal information and stealing their identities.

Awawdah opened credit card accounts in the victims’ names and made thousands of dollars in unauthorized purchases. She used one stolen identity to obtain student loans.

Following her prison sentence, Awawdah will spend three years under supervised release.