LA HABRA, Calif.–Charges have been filed against a former credit union employee that allege she opened more than 30 fraudulent lines of credit for her boyfriend, who then stole $1.1 million in what could ultimately have been a $2.6-million theft.
The boyfriend has also been charged.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has indicted Indira Mohabir, 41, Phillip Cook, 50, on 15 counts that charge the two with conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud, eight counts of unauthorized issuance of credit union obligations and six counts of financial institution fraud.
According to the indictment, Mohabir worked as a business loan processor at Western Federal Credit Union and entered into an online relationship with Cook in November 2014. Shortly thereafter, Mohabir allegedly agreed soon after to open lines of credit without the necessary oversight and approval from the credit union. The scheme lasted about three months, from late 2014 to early 2015, the indictment states, but the majority of the credit lines were established — or doubled — over just a few days in January 2015.
Prosecutors allege that in exchange for opening the lines of credit and hiding them from the credit union, Cook promised to take Mohabir on trips, and sent her a $50,000 check and flowers.
Prosecutors said that as part of the scheme Mohabir was issued $2.6 million in credit, but was only able to draw down $1.1 million before the alleged crime was discovered.
If convicted, Mohabir and Cook each would face up to five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 30 years for each of the substantive fraud charges.