Washington Man Charged with Conspiring to Defraud Credit Unions

PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal bank laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count indictment, returned on July 10, charged Solomon Chambers, Sr., age 50, with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

According to the indictment, from on or about July 14, 2016 to on or about July 23, 2016, Chambers and other individuals conspired to defraud Members 1st Federal Credit Union and Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union. Chambers and other conspirators deposited non-sufficient checks into bank accounts at those credit unions, and then made cash withdrawals or point-of-sale purchases that rendered those accounts overdrawn.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of either $250,000 or an alternative amount depending on the victims’ losses, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Adam N. Hallowell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.