AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885

December 15, 2006

SILVER SPRING MAN SENTENCED TO OVER 12 YEARS IN PRISON ON BANK FRAUD AND IDENTITY THEFT CHARGES

Stolen Customer Information Used to Defraud Bank of Over $200,000

Baltimore, Maryland - Cleveland Kilgore, age 33, of Silver Spring, Maryland was sentenced today to 149 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett also ordered $268,930 in restitution and forfeiture.

Testimony at trial proved that Kilgore defrauded Bank of America from September 2004 through March 2005 through the unauthorized use of the personal information of Bank of America account holders in California. Witnesses testified that Kilgore obtained account holders’ bank account numbers and balances, names and addresses and driver’s license numbers. Kilgore used this information to manufacture identification documents bearing the names and addresses of Bank of America account holders, with photographs of Kilgore and his associates. Kilgore obtained approximately $268,930 through this scheme from Bank of America branch locations in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the investigative work performed by the U.S. Secret Service, Department of the Treasury, Office of the Inspector General, the Montgomery County Department of Police, and the United States Marshal’s Service. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Skalla and Michele Sartori, who are prosecuting the case.