GREENBELT, Md.–With jury deliberations lasting less than 90 minutes, a former credit union employee has been convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Jalen Craig McMillan, 30, of Jessup, Md., was found guilty of the charges after a four-day trial. The credit union involved was not identified in statements from the U.S. Attorney.
According to prosecutors, McMillan used his position as a member service representative” at a federal credit union to facilitate both the opening of accounts in the names of identity theft victims and subsequent financial transactions, including assisting with loans.
False Identification Documents
“As detailed at trial and in court documents, co-defendant Archie Paul and his co-conspirators obtained, possessed and used fictitious identities and the personal identifying information (“PII”) of real persons (the “victims”), which Paul and co-defendant John Fitzgerald Washington used to manufacture and procure false identification documents displaying the PII of the victims, but photographs of others,” the U.S. Attorney said. “Paul, co-defendant Tiffany Rainel Williams and others then used the false identification documents to impersonate the victims and with the help of McMillan and other conspirators, open bank accounts and conduct financial transactions in their names, including making large withdrawals from the victims’ accounts.”
In addition to the conspiracy and bank fraud charges, the U.S. Attorney said McMillan was convicted of aggravated identity theft for providing the identifying information of a bank customer to Paul, knowing that it would be used to facilitate the fraud.
PII Stolen
“Specifically, the evidence proved that McMillan used his special access to the bank’s customer database to steal confidential PII belonging to Victim 5, a customer at the bank,” the statement continued. “McMillan provided that information to Paul. A co-conspirator subsequently opened a bank account using Victim 4’s PII and Victim 5’s banking information. McMillan serviced the transaction and assisted the co-conspirator in obtaining a $10,000 loan in Victim 4’s name, which the co-conspirator immediately withdrew in cash.”
The U.S. Attorney said trial evidence proved that the conspirators intended to fraudulently obtain more than $400,000 from the bank and successfully defrauded the bank of more than $150,000.
Co-Conspirators
Co-defendants Paul Archie, a/k/a “Carter Hill” and “Zion Davis,” age 31, of Laurel, Md.; John Fitzgerald Washington, age 52, of Waldorf, Md., and Tiffany Rainel Williams, age 37, of Glenarden, Md., previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.
Sentence of Up to 30 Years
McMillan faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the conspiracy and for each count of bank fraud and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed for aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for McMillan on June5, 2024, at 2:30 p.m.
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