A North Carolina attorney has been charged with bank fraud after she and two coconspirators allegedly applied for loans and credit cards using Social Security numbers that were not theirs. Those funds were then used to pay for several personal expenses, including plastic surgery and a BMW.
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According to the indictment, Tiffany Dawn Russell, partner at The Law Offices of Tiffany D. Russell PLL, created new credit profiles to open financial accounts with major credit issuers like Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of Missouri. Those profiles were created under other individuals’ names and dates of birth, along with nine-digit numbers that resembled Social Security numbers after the trio were sold fraudulent credit identities.
Rahne Cooper, 31, and Darius Hinton, 31, of North Carolina were also charged in the case.
Russell, Cooper and Hinton are also accused of also providing false employment, income and residence information on the credit applications with the various financial institutions.
The indictment states that from April 2016 to October 2016, the three used the fraudulent credit accounts to make personal purchases totaling more than $100,000.
During the scam, Russell and the others used credit cards from Synchrony Bank to pay for her plastic surgery procedures done by Advanced Plastic Surgery Solutions. It is also alleged that Russell fraudulently financed a BMW through Branch Banking and Trust Co.
Cooper and Hinton are said to have used their “fake” identities to finance vehicles as well as purchase John Deere lawn equipment and other various electronics.
The case will be tried in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The government will be represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Menzer.
Seeing as Russell’s firm has offices in both North Carolina and Florida, this may not be the last litigation that stems from this bank fraud ring and their illegal credit practices.
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