Bowie Woman Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison in Bank Fraud Scheme

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Falon D. Lyle, age 31, of Bowie, Maryland, today to four years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Judge Messitte also entered an order requiring Lyle to pay restitution of $46,135.78.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge David Beach of the United States Secret Service –Washington Field Office.

According to Lyle’s guilty plea, at some point prior to April 2007, Lyle prepared federal income tax returns for two individuals. Beginning in April 2007, Lyle used the names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of these two individuals to open checking and savings accounts at the Navy FCU and NASA FCU. After opening these accounts, Lyle forged the signatures of the victims and submitted online applications to these financial institutions for line of credit, loan, and credit card accounts. Using the line of credit, loan, and credit accounts that she fraudulently obtained, Lyle withdrew cash funds, incurred credit card charges, and wrote checks to purchase merchandise and services for her own personal use.

During the course of her scheme, Lyle fraudulently opened and used five separate NASA FCU line of credit, loan, and credit card accounts in the names of the victims, resulting in a loss to NASA FCU of $35,887.78. Lyle also fraudulently opened and used a credit account at the Navy FCU in the name of one of the victims, resulting in a loss to Navy FCU of $10,248.07. The total loss to the credit unions as a result of the scheme was $46,135.85.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Secret Service for its work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Christen A. Sproule, who prosecuted the case.