BOISE - Christopher Sheldon Miller, 40, of Union City, California, pleaded guilty on January 27, 2016, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Miller was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on September 9, 2015.
According to court proceedings, Miller admitted that he and his co-conspirators traveled to the District of Idaho from California for the purpose of executing the bank fraud scheme. Between June 25 and 29, 2015, the defendant and his co-conspirators made and attempted to make a number of fraudulent withdrawals at various banks in Ada County and Canyon County. The defendant would go into a bank, impersonate a real account holder, and present a fake California driver’s license and other personal information of the real account holder to obtain a temporary debit card. Miller attempted to make and made withdrawals at the banks. The defendant and his co-conspirators also made fraudulent purchases at various stores, using the customer account information. The defendant and his co-conspirators made at least $34,958.95 in fraudulent withdrawals and purchases in Idaho. In addition, the defendant and his co-conspirators made an additional $35,632.01 in fraudulent withdrawals and purchases in Colorado in June 2015.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00, and up to five years of supervised release. The charge of aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years consecutive to the underlying conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge.
Sentencing is set for April 12, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boise Police Department.