Jessup Credit Union Employee Convicted In Bank Fraud, Identity Theft Case

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A federal credit union employee from Jessup has been convicted by a federal jury for his role in an identity theft scheme and bank fraud.

According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, Jalen Craig McMillan, 30, used his position as a member service representative at a federal credit union to open bank accounts in the names of identity theft victims and conduct financial transactions, including assisting with loans. Trial evidence proved that McMillan and his co-conspirators intended to fraudulently obtain more than $400,000 from the bank and successfully defrauded the bank of more than $150,000.

Co-defendant Archie Paul and other co-conspirators obtained, possessed and used fictitious identities as well as the personal information of real people. Paul and co-defendant John Fitzgerald Washington used that information to create fake identification documents with the personal information of the victims, but used photographs of others. Paul, co-defendant Tiffany Rainel Williams and others then used the fake documents to impersonate the victims and, with the help of McMillan and other conspirators, opened bank accounts and conducted financial transactions in their names, including making large withdrawals from the victims’ accounts., according to evidence presented at the trial.

The federal jury deliberated less than 90 minutes before convicting McMillan. In addition to the conspiracy and bank fraud charges, McMillan also was convicted of aggravated identity theft for providing the identifying information of a bank customer to Paul, knowing that it would be used to help in the fraud scheme.

Co-defendants Archie, also known as “Carter Hill” and “Zion Davis,” 31, of Laurel; Washington, 52, of Waldorf; and Williams, 37, of Glenarden; previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.

McMillan faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the conspiracy and for each count of bank fraud and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed for aggravated identity theft. His sentencing has been set for June 5.