A Norfolk man pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft and bank fraud in connection with a fraud scheme targeting Navy Federal Credit Union.
According to court documents, Taimak Peters, 28, helped devise a scheme to defraud Navy Federal Credit Union out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. From approximately April through July 2018, Peters, along with other co-conspirators, stole the identities of various victims, including their names, social security numbers, and dates of birth. Using this information, the conspirators established accounts at Navy Federal Credit Union and applied for automobile loans in the victims’ names from information secured from internet websites such as Autotrader. The court records indicate that once these loans were approved, a conspirator would go to a Navy Federal Branch, retrieve the loan check, then take it to a different branch to cash. The conspirators then split the proceeds of the fraudulently obtained check amongst themselves. Peters admitted in Court to supplying stolen identities in this fashion on at least three such transactions. Peters specific action caused Navy Federal Credit Union to lose over $57,000, the overall conspiracy caused a loss exceeding $300,000. Peters is the fourth person to plead guilty in this scheme.
Peters is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 2 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 32 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-conspirators, Raven Dixon, 29, of Norfolk, Ryan Eugene Gregory, 38, of Norfolk, and Thomas Jules Rogers, 33 of Prince George’s County, Maryland, all previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-78.
Original source can be found here.
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