Essex county, n.J., man indicted in credit card fraud
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
December 4, 2012 |
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, N.J., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for his alleged role in a scheme to illegally obtain and use duplicate credit cards, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Abdullah Bryant, 34, of Irvington, was charged by Indictment with one count of bank fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and four counts of credit card fraud.
According to the Indictment returned today:
Bryant and others got JP Morgan Chase Bank to issue and send, via UPS, 21 duplicate credit cards based on phone calls from persons purporting to be the credit card holders. The callers falsely represented that they were Chase Bank credit card account holders who needed replacement cards and requested that the cards be shipped to addresses different from those appearing on Chase's records.
Between Sept. 16, 2011, and Sept. 25, 2011, Bryant unlawfully obtained and used four credit cards issued by Chase Bank, making and attempting to make purchases totaling approximately $60,000. The purchases consisted primarily of luxury items such as jewelry and expensive electronic equipment such as computers, as well as 3D and HD television sets. The aggravated identity theft charges are based on defendant Bryant’s use of the identities of the four true account holders as he used the card.
The bank fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The credit card fraud counts are punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and the aggravated identity theft charges are punishable by a mandatory term of two years in prison, at least one of which must be consecutive to the other sentences.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James Mottola, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura, with the ongoing investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lorraine Gerson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations made in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: John Yauch Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
