Six Navy Federal Members Face Felony Fraud Charges
The members allegedly deposit fake checks into their accounts after targeting elderly bank customers.
Federal prosecutors alleged six members of the $178 billion Navy Federal Credit Union were involved in a bank fraud scheme with 15 other persons who allegedly stole an estimated $200,000 from three banks and the Vienna, Va., -based financial cooperative.
An indictment announced last month by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Shreveport, La., alleged four of the 21 suspects worked with three employees of the Teleperformance Call Center in Shreveport to obtain account information related to USAA Bank customers.
The employees allegedly targeted elderly bank customers with high account balances because the suspects believed the elderly customers were less likely to regularly monitor their account activity.
Using this account information, some of the co-conspirators made counterfeit checks drawn on USAA Bank accounts. They also used social media and other methods to recruit individuals who were willing to have the counterfeit checks deposited into their bank accounts in exchange for money.
This fraud scheme occurred from January 2021 to October 2022, the indictment showed.
According to prosecutors, Shamaya S. Pouncy deposited a fake $10,000 USAA Bank check into her Navy Federal account on June 13, 2022.
On that same day, Shaquentalas B. McGinty allegedly deposited a phony $15,000 USAA Bank check into her Navy Federal account. A few days later on June 18, McGinty and Sharmaine Jackson were at Bally’s Casino in Shreveport where they withdrew $7,000 from McGinty’s credit union account.
On June 21, Kyra D. Washington-Bates, deposited a counterfeit $16,000 USAA Bank check into her Navy Federal account.
Two months later on Aug. 2, Navy Federal member Shmarrian J. Taylor deposited a fake $18,000 USAA Check into her account and on Aug 17, Trameka McGinty deposited a phony $5,000 check in her Navy Federal account, according to the indictment.
All six Navy Federal members who live in Shreveport were each charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. They are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in federal court.
Fifteen other suspects also deposited counterfeit USAA Bank checks into their accounts at Chase Bank and Bank of America, according to the indictment.