OHIO COUNTY, W.Va. — Two men have been charged with stealing the identities of West Virginians and then withdrawing cash from their credit union accounts.
Benjamin Britford, 33, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Brandon Watkins, 29, of Douglasville, Ga., have been charged with making unauthorized transactions from accounts at Bayer Heritage FCU in New Martinsville, W.V.
According to police, in July and August 2023, Britford and Watkins obtained the personal identifying information and account numbers for numerous credit union members and then withdrew cash from those accounts, WTOV reported.
More Than $10,000 Withdrawn
The defendants withdrew more than $10,000 in cash from accounts in West Virginia and withdrew additional funds from accounts of Bayer member in South Carolina during the same time period, the report added.
The report did not state how the identities and financial information were obtained.
Britford and Watkins have each been charged with bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank larceny. Watkins faces an additional charge of aggravated identity theft, WTOV reported.