Former Federal Credit Union Employee Sentenced To 54 Months In Federal Prison

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced defendant Jalen Craig McMillan, age 30, of Jessup, Maryland to 54 months in federal prison, 5 years of supervised release, and restitution of $165,891.68. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron 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 Archie Paul, a/k/a “Carter Hill” and “Zion Davis,” age 31, of Laurel, Maryland; John Fitzgerald Washington, age 52, of Waldorf, Maryland, and Tiffany Rainel Williams, age 37, of Glenarden, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and have been sentenced.  

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised 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 prosecuted the case.

            For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

# # #