After deliberating less than 90 minutes, a federal jury convicted Jalen Craig McMillan, age 30, of Jessup, Maryland, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. The jury returned its verdict late on February 16, 2024.
The guilty verdict was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Christina Bentham of the U.S. Secret Service – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, 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.
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.
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, 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.
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. 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.
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-defendants
- Paul Archie, a/k/a “Carter Hill” and “Zion Davis,” age 31, of Laurel, Maryland
- John Fitzgerald Washington, age 52, of Waldorf, Maryland
- Tiffany Rainel Williams, age 37, of Glenarden, Maryland
All previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.
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.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Secret Service for its work in the investigation and thanked the City of Laurel Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Bijon Mostoufi and Ranganath Manthripragada, who are prosecuting the case.
