Anchorage, Alaska – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Feldis announced today, that a California woman was indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, credit card fraud, counterfeit travelers checks, and wire fraud; bank fraud and attempted bank fraud; credit card fraud and attempted credit card fraud; counterfeit travelers checks; wire fraud; and aggravated identity theft.

The 33-count indictment names Crystal Jacinta Burks Singh, 32, of Oakland, California, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, Singh directed her co-conspirators, Amber Marquardt and Renee Walker, on how to use stolen credit cards together with fraudulent drivers licenses at financial institutions to obtain cash advances, and at retailers to obtain merchandise, and at airline companies, car rental companies, and hotels to obtain services. The charges also allege that Singh provided counterfeit travelers checks to her co-conspirators who used them to make small purchases at grocery stores and convenience stores to get genuine currency in the change from the transactions, and that Singh wired some of the money from the fraudulent transactions from Alaska to California using the identity of another woman. The indictment alleges that between about June 10, 2009 and June 18, 2009, Singh and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained approximately $122,684 in fraudulent cash advances, and fraudulently obtained services and merchandise, and fraudulently attempted to obtain approximately $56,303 in fraudulent cash advances and merchandise, and possessed and negotiated approximately $2,000 in counterfeit travelers checks. Marquardt and Walker who were previously indicted a part of the government’s investigation, pled guilty in federal court in July and August to participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud and credit card fraud. They are both awaiting sentencing.

Assistant United States Attorneys Aunnie Steward and Yvonne Lamoureux, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, credit card fraud, counterfeit travelers checks, and wire fraud provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both; that the law for bank fraud and attempted bank fraud provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both; that the law for credit card fraud and attempted credit card fraud provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both; that the law for counterfeit travelers checks provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both; that the law for

wire fraud provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both; and that the law for aggravated identity theft provides for a maximum total sentence of two years in prison consecutive with any other term of imprisonment imposed. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

The United States Secret Service and Anchorage Airport Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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