ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C. woman, Adiam Berhane, 50, was convicted today on a slew of federal charges stemming from a sophisticated credit card fraud scheme that bilked retailers and financial institutions out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The jury found Berhane guilty of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, trafficking in unauthorized access devices, aggravated identity theft, unlawful possession of 15 or more access devices, and possession of access device-making equipment with intent to defraud.
The operation, running from at least 2013 to 2016, involved stolen credit card information used to purchase gift cards, luxury goods, and other items across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Berhane wasn’t working alone. Authorities identified co-conspirators Keith Lemons, 55 of Clinton, Maryland; Tiffany Younger, 50 of Washington, D.C.; and an unindicted co-conspirator (UCC-1) as key players in the scheme. The crew systematically stole identities and manufactured fraudulent payment cards.
Investigators discovered a full-blown credit card manufacturing operation inside the apartment shared by Berhane and UCC-1. Berhane allegedly sourced stolen credit card data from the internet, passed it to UCC-1 for card creation, and then distributed the counterfeit cards to Lemons and Younger for use at local stores. But Berhane wasn’t just a supplier; she was the brains of the operation, directing the flow of stolen information, managing card distribution, and even advising her accomplices on how to maximize fraud at specific retailers. She also dictated how they would get paid.
The scam went beyond simple purchases. Berhane allegedly directed the return of fraudulently purchased items for refunds, diverting the money into bank accounts she controlled – including those linked to her personal finances and Caffe Aficionado, a coffee shop in Arlington, Virginia, that she co-owned with UCC-1. A significant portion of the coffee shop’s income, over a third from June 2013 to July 2016, came from suspiciously high volumes of American Express gift card redemptions, a pattern that began even before the shop officially opened. This wasn’t a side hustle; it was integral to the fraud.
Lemons and Younger have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and are awaiting sentencing. Berhane, however, faces a much steeper climb. She is looking at a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of 196 years when sentenced on March 15, 2023. While federal sentences rarely reach the maximum, the potential penalty underscores the seriousness of the charges. The case was a joint effort involving the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the FBI, Arlington County Police, Montgomery County Police Department, the FBI Cyber Task Force, the U.S. Postal Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Keim and Bibeane Metsch secured the conviction. The U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber, along with Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Arlington County Chief of Police Andy Penn, announced the verdict. This case serves as a stark reminder that even seemingly sophisticated fraud schemes will eventually face justice, and those who profit from stolen identities will be held accountable.
Related Federal Cases
- Travis Lee, Credit Card Fraud, MD 2024 · West Virginia
- Alvin Serry, Credit Card Fraud, Maryland 2024 · Maryland
- Washington Lee, Card Fraud, Maryland 2024 · West Virginia
- Odere Suleitopa, Credit Card Fraud, Maryland 2024 · South Carolina
- Homayoon Daneshvar, Investment Fraud Scheme, Washington DC, 2013 · Maryland
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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