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Press Release

Conspiracy, Fraud And Other Charges Filed Against Pair From Northeast Ohio In 84-Count Indictment

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio

A pair from Northeast Ohio were named in an 84-count superseding indictment, charged with a variety of schemes that resulted in a loss of more than $43,000, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Charged are Angelique Bankston, 41, of South Euclid, Ohio, and Jocelyn Hale, 31, of Cleveland.

Bankston and Hale were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

In addition, Bankston was charged with five counts of bank fraud, eight counts of mail fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, and 59 counts of money laundering.

Hale was charged with four counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and five counts of money laundering.

The superseding indictment alleges that Bankston and Hale, using identities of several individuals without their authority, defrauded Citizens Bank, Lending Club Corporation, and Wells Fargo Bank.

Bankston and Hale funded a Wells Fargo Bank account with counterfeit funds totaling $13,027.22, according to the indictment.

Bankston and Hale also funded a second Wells Fargo Bank account with illegally obtained funds.

The superseding indictment also alleges that Bankston defrauded the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and Dollar Bank.

Bankston funded a Dollar Bank account with illegally obtained funds totaling $27,460. Bankston defrauded ODJFS by causing the United States Postal Service to hold mail for several individuals, without their authority. Bankston then stole U.S. Bank ReliaCards issued by ODFJS in the amount of $2,800 in the names of those individuals, according to the indictment.

If convicted, Bankston’s and Hale’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including their prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offenses, and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases they will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Bennett and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry D. Mastrocola, following an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and United States Postal Service, Cleveland.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Updated March 12, 2015