Maryland Woman Faces Multiple Bank Fraud, Identity Theft Charges


Once people get caught up in the thrill of defrauding money from others, they may not be able to stop. Even when a person has been accused of fraud, they may continue with their fraud schemes, causing them to be arrested for even more criminal charges.

This was the case for a Maryland woman who committed even more fraud crimes while on pretrial release for similar crimes. The 69-year-old woman from Clinton was already dealing with wire fraud and identity theft charges in relation to the profit and non-profit organizations she operated. She has now been detained for violating the conditions of her pretrial release.

Between October 9 and October 21, 2020, the woman defrauded a victim by claiming she would take care of the victim’s finances while they moved out of state. The woman claimed she would return the money once the victim had finished moving into their new place, but the woman did not make good on her promise. She received a check from the victim in the amount of $71,731.85 and deposited it into her own bank account. The woman spent the money on personal items and never returned the funds to the victim.

The fraud scheme began on October 9, 2015, when the woman stole $134,800 from a mutual fund in Pennsylvania and wired the money into a bank account associated with Still I Rise, a non-profit entity the woman ran that was created to provide services to minority survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and stalking. She then used the money for expenditures at Women’s Wellness Center (WWC), a for-profit entity she also ran. She also used the money for her personal expenses.

On April 8, 2016, the woman deposited a $72,938 altered business check that she stole from a university in Texas into a bank account opened in the name of Still I Rise. She then fraudulently opened credit accounts at two financial institutions using the identity of another victim, an elderly volunteer at Still I Rise. She used the accounts to accumulate $45,000 in debt.

If convicted of the criminal charges, the woman faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of bank fraud (three total) and wire fraud (seven total). She also faces a minimum of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. The woman is expected to appear in the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, but the date has not been determined yet.

Contact a Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney Today

Many people are motivated by money, making bank fraud and identity theft common crimes. However, these crimes can lead to extensive prison time as well as hefty fines.

Get the legal help you need from the Columbia white collar crime lawyers at The Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, P.A. We can argue your case in court and negotiate with prosecutors to reduce your sentence. Fill out the online form or call (410) 774-5987 to schedule a consultation. We have two offices to serve you.

Resource:

justice.gov/usao-md/pr/new-bank-fraud-and-aggravated-identity-theft-charges-added-non-profit-ceo-s-previous

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