Man Charged In Multi-Layered Credit Card Fraud And Identity Theft Scheme Involving Falsified Credit Applications And Fraudulent Lawsuits

WILMINGTON, Del. - Charles M. Oberly, III, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Arthur Robinson, age 39, of Frederick, Maryland, has been charged by a federal grand jury with two counts of bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344), one count of social security fraud (42 U.S.C. § 408), one count of wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), and three counts of aggravated identity theft (18 U.S.C. § 1028A), by Indictment unsealed yesterday.  The defendant faces up to 30 years in prison on each count of bank fraud, up to 20 years in prison on the count of wire fraud, up to 5 years in prison the count of social security fraud, and consecutive 2-year terms of imprisonment on each of the aggravated identity theft charges, in addition to possible fines and restitution. 

According to the Indictment, from January 2002 through October 2013, the defendant devised a scheme to defraud multiple federally insured financial institutions, including Delaware-based Barclays Bank and Chase Bank.  The defendant is alleged to have used multiple identities, including the identity of a minor child, to submit false and fraudulent credit applications to the banks.  The Indictment further alleges that the defendant made purchases on the fraudulently obtained lines of credit and did not pay the balances.  In addition, the defendant is alleged to have disputed the lines of credit with at least one credit agency, and he filed lawsuits against the lenders to fend off collection efforts.  Moreover, the defendant is alleged to have obtained a new social security number, claiming to be an identity theft victim, which he then used on further fraudulent credit applications.

U.S. Attorney Oberly gave the following comments: “This case should send a clear signal that individuals who repeatedly abuse the credit services offered by the federally-backed lenders here in Delaware will be prosecuted, and false statements to the Social Security Administration in furtherance of such abuse will not be tolerated.  Specifically, I want to thank officials at Barclays Bank for initially bringing its concerns about Mr. Robinson to the attention of the United States Attorney’s office in Delaware, and I thank the other institutions that cooperated in the investigation.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with cooperation from the State of Maryland.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Paxton, District of Delaware. 

The charges in the Indictment are only allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.