Conspirators In Baltimore Bank Fraud Scheme Sentenced To Prison

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Ramon Ingram, age 28, of Baltimore, today to four years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.  Judge Bennett also ordered Ingram to pay restitution of $191,958.39.

Judge Bennett sentenced co-defendants Quincy Jackson, age 27, and Marlon King, Jr., age 28, both of Baltimore, each to two years in prison, followed by five years of supervised, and ordered them to pay restitution of $225,626.32.  Jackson was sentenced on January 26, 2015 and King was sentenced on January 29, 2015.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Brian Murphy of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Commissioner Anthony W. Batts of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his plea agreement and other court documents, from April 2012 through December 2013, Ingram conspired with co-defendants Quincy Jackson and Marlon King, Jr., to defraud financial institutions by using credit cards issued to customers of the financial institution, without the customers’ knowledge or permission, to purchase gift cards and other items at various retail locations.  Ingram recruited Jackson and King to participate in the scheme.

For example, on April 15, 2012, Ingram and Jackson entered a Rite Aid located on Shipping Place in Baltimore County, where Ingram used a Susquehanna Bank card and a USAA Bank credit card, each in the name of a different victim, to make purchases.            On June 19, 2012, Ingram and Jackson entered a Rite Aid located on W. Lexington Street in Baltimore, and Ingram fraudulently used a Discover credit card and a VISA credit card to make purchases.

On October 1, 2013, Jackson and King went to a department store located on Reisterstown Road in Baltimore, and fraudulently used a gift card to make purchases.  The gift card was purchased at a Rite Aid located on Padonia Road in Baltimore County, using a Susquehanna credit card belonging to another individual, without the victim’s knowledge or permission.

According to court documents, Ingram and his co-conspirators used the identities of over 250 victims to make fraudulent purchases.  The total loss caused by the conspiracy to Rite Aid was $191,958.39.

The Maryland Identity Theft Working Group has been working since 2006 to foster cooperation among local, state, federal, and institutional fraud investigators and to promote effective prosecution of identity theft schemes by both state and federal prosecutors. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Working Group, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to work with financial institutions and businesses to address identity fraud, identify those who compromise personal identity information, and protect citizens from identity theft.

Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since the inception of FFETF in November 2009, the Justice Department has filed more than 12,841 financial fraud cases against nearly 18,737 defendants including nearly 3,500 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Secret Service, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ayn B. Ducao and Zachary Myers, who are prosecuting the case.