FBI special agents working undercover as credit union loan officers arrested a Georgia man Monday who allegedly used a fake ID to apply for a car loan at the $377 million Kinetic Federal Credit Union in Columbus, Ga.
Retired FBI special agent Randall Allen, who works as a security officer for KCU, reported to the FBI that two people each used two different counterfeit driver's licenses to represent their identities to open accounts.
Allen became suspicious when he noticed discrepancies on the driver's licenses of both male suspects.
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The first suspect applied for a car loan, which was denied by KCU.
The second suspect, later identified as James Theron Brown, applied for a $31,925 car loan. In addition to the fake license, Brown also allegedly submitted a bogus Georgia utility power bill and other fake documents.
After walking into a KCU branch on Monday, Brown met with FBI special agents who were posing as KCU loan officers. When Brown confirmed he wanted to complete the $31,925 transaction on a loan he had applied for earlier, FBI agents placed him under arrest and charged him with bank fraud.
Brown is expected to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Columbus Friday.
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Peter Strozniak
Credit Union Times reporter covering credit union operations, fraud, M&As, leagues, business continuity, and breaking news.
