Former Security Guard Admits To Stealing Co-Workers' And Applicants' Identities For Bank Fraud
GREENBELT (WJZ) -- A Prince George's County man admitted Tuesday to using stolen information of coworkers and job applicants to open fraudulent bank and credit accounts. A former security guard, prosecutors said he continued his scheme even after he was indicted.
Ricardo Carter of Camp Springs pleaded guilty in a Greenbelt federal court to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces two to 32 years in prison.
Prosecutors said that between January 2015 and December 2017, the 37-year-old used stolen names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers to open bank accounts in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Prosecutors said he would open a bank account with a stolen identity, deposit bad checks into the account then withdraw the value of the check in cash before it cleared. Alternately, he would transfer the funds into another account and spend the fraudulently obtained money. He would open a credit card account and use the card or personal expenses, costing the issuers money and damaging victims' credit scores.
Carter admitted that he used his position as a security supervisor to open accounts using the identities of people who worked there or who had applied to work there.
He was initially indicted on September 21, 2019. He was given pre-trial release on July 2, 2020 on the condition that he not break any laws. That October, he applied to rent an apartment in Largo, where the U.S. Pre-Trial Services Office had not approved him to live. He falsely listed the company where he previously served as a security guard as his employer and, as before, used a stolen Social Security number.
He submitted a fraudulent letter and pay stubs purporting to be from his former employer. After failed to pay his rent, his landlord in late March asked his former employer to authenticate the letter. The company confirmed the letter was fake. Carter failed to pay $11,854.30 in back rent.
On April 4, a U.S. magistrate judge ordered Carter to surrender to U.S. marshals. He failed to report and was arrested in Florida on April 22.
He admitted he opened more than 100 accounts using 10 stolen identities, costing banks more than $119,000. He will forfeit at least that amount as part of the plea agreement. He owes victims more than $130,000 in restitution.
Sentencing is set for Nov. 30.