Georgia Woman Charged with Credit Card Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Conspiracy

NEWARK, N.J. – A woman was arrested in Georgia today for her alleged participation in a credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Funmilola Adekanmi, 29, of Duluth, Georgia, is charged by complaint with one count of  bank fraud conspiracy and one count of aggravated identity theft. Adekanmi is expected to make her initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard in federal court in Atlanta, Georgia. 

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Between July 2016 and May 2017, Adekanmi conspired with Akintunde Adeyemi, Oluwaseun Jato, and others to obtain control of credit card accounts using stolen personal identifying information (PII) of third parties. Adeyemi, Jato and other conspirators submitted to a financial institution identified in the complaint as “Victim Bank 1” applications for credit card accounts using stolen PII, including the names, addresses, and other identifying information of the unsuspecting identity theft victims. After establishing the accounts, the conspirators contacted Victim Bank 1 to change the address associated with the accounts so that Victim Bank 1 would send the credit cards to those addresses. The conspirators then monitored those addresses and intercepted the cards before the residents of the addresses received them. Some of these addresses were located near the conspirators’ residences in New Jersey and Georgia. The conspirators, including Adekanmi, then used the cards at retail stores in New Jersey and Georgia, among other places, to purchase merchandise, including gift cards, which they then used or sold for profits.  The conspirators defrauded Victim Bank 1 of more than $600,000. 

The investigation to date has revealed that the conspirators played unique roles in the scheme. Adeyemi obtained the stolen PII from other conspirators and used it to create the fraudulent credit card accounts. He then sent the account information to others, including Jato, who coordinated with other conspirators to retrieve the credit cards associated with the compromised accounts. Adeyemi also provided compromised credit card accounts to Adekanmi, who used the accounts to make retail purchases, including purchasing gift cards. Adekanmi received a percentage of the scheme’s profits for her assistance in the fraudulent transactions.  She was recorded on store surveillance footage on multiple dates in April 2017 making purchases using some of the compromised credit card accounts.    

The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed by the court.

On July 17, 2018, conspirators Adeyemi and Jato were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for their roles in the scheme.  Jato was arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 24, 2018. On Aug. 2, 2018, Jato and Adeyemi were indicted and charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.  That case is pending. Adeyemi has not yet been arrested and remains at large.   

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, and special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Grippo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty

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