PEORIA, Ill. – A DeKalb man was sentenced to 70 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Christopher Simmons, 41, of the 800 block of Edgebrook Drive, was sentenced to concurrent terms of 46 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release for three counts of bank fraud. He also received a consecutive term of 24 months’ imprisonment for aggravated identity theft. The aggravated identity theft sentence included one year of supervised release, to run concurrently with the three years supervised release for bank fraud.
The bank fraud was committed against the Citizens Equity First Credit Union. Simmons provided false information to obtain car loans and a Mastercard. He used a northern Illinois woman’s social security number in his attempt to obtain the loan.
At the time of his arrest, Simmons provided false names to the Chicago Police Department.
U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid imposed the 70-month sentence, stating that Simmons is ‘interested only in himself while causing harm to others’ and that there was nothing ‘to indicate that he would do anything other than recidivate.’
Simmons was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $49,900 to the credit union.
A co-defendant, Adreen Canterberry, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, followed by a five-year term of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution of $49,900, joint and severable with Simmons.
The statutory penalties for bank fraud include up to 30 years’ imprisonment, up to a five-year term of supervised release, and up to a $1,000,000 fine. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment consecutive to the bank fraud conviction, to be followed by one year of supervised release.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case. Criminal Chief Darilynn J. Knauss and Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government in the prosecution.
Mandatory facts:
1. Defendant/respondent real full name: Christopher Simmons
2. Exact criminal charges: Three counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft
3. City and state: DeKalb, Illinois
4. Exact date: February 24, 2022
5. Sentence or outcome: 70 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and $49,900 in restitution
6. Dollar amounts: $49,900
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- Letitia James Demands ICE Identity Disclosure, New York, 2023 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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