Feds Allege Fraudster Targeted 26 Credit Unions & 25 Member IDs in Seven States
Maegen Fortin of Minnesota allegedly steals tens of thousands of dollars and is expected to plead guilty.
Over 16 months, Maegen Catherine Fortin allegedly targeted 26 credit unions across seven states and used the identities of 25 credit union members to steal tens of thousands of dollars, federal prosecutors for the Northern District of Iowa said in court filings.
Fortin, of Minnesota, is expected to plead guilty to one felony count of financial institution fraud and one felony count of aggravated identity theft, according to court documents filed in federal court in Cedar Rapids last week.
From May 2020 to September 2021, Fortin allegedly defrauded or attempted to defraud the 26 credit unions in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa by applying for checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, lines of credit and loans with stolen IDs of 25 credit union members. She allegedly used phony documents including U.S. passports, military IDs, state driver’s licenses and employment papers. Court documents did not say how Fortin obtained members’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, addresses and maiden names.
Prosecutors alleged that a co-schemer, not identified in court documents, was also involved in these crimes.
In one specific example, on June 25, 2021, Fortin allegedly opened a joint account at a credit union in Cedar Rapids. This credit union and the other 25 financial cooperatives were not identified in court documents.
Fortin allegedly used the personal identification of a credit union member, M.H., to open a joint account. The other owner of the account was a co-schemer who used the identity of credit union member K.S.
Fortin and the co-schemer applied for a $35,465 used auto loan, and they also applied for a $28,820 new auto loan, federal prosecutors said. The credit union approved both loans and deposited $32,036 and $25,478 into the joint account.
Fortin then allegedly withdrew $24,000 and $30,000 in cashier’s checks.
Federal prosecutors did not say whether Fortin allegedly stole or attempted to steal funds from the other credit unions.
Nevertheless, Fortin was previously convicted of financial fraud, identity theft, financial transaction card fraud and possession of stolen or counterfeit checks, according to court documents.
Fortin’s arraignment hearing, at which she is expected to plead guilty, has not been scheduled. She remains in federal custody.