Maxime Maiga, Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Greenbelt M…

Greenbelt, Maryland – In a stunning turn of events, Maxime Maiga, 37, from Montgomery Village, was handed down a two-year and one-day sentence followed by two years of supervised release for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The sentence came as part of the justice system’s crackdown on financial crimes.

Maiga, once an employee at a Washington, D.C. credit union catering to the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund members, was found guilty of accessing the personal information of two foreign national account holders. He then used that data in a meticulously planned scheme to defraud them out of $400,000.

On January 8, 2013, Maiga fraudulently accessed identification documents and financial records of the victims. By January 22, he had forged a victim’s signature on a letter requesting access to their online banking account. With the help of a co-conspirator, Maiga altered a diplomatic passport and demanded login credentials for the account.

The fraudulent activity didn’t stop there. On February 12, Maiga asked another employee to print tax documents and signature cards. The following day, he requested $200,000 monthly wire transfers to a co-conspirator’s account. By March 1, an additional $200,000 was transferred as a result of the fraudulent requests.

Judge Paul W. Grimm also ordered Maiga to forfeit $11,000 and pay full restitution of $400,000. The investigation into Maiga’s actions was a collaborative effort by the Maryland Identity Theft Working Group and the United States Secret Service – Washington Field Office.

This case is part of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force’s broader efforts to combat financial crimes, which have seen over 12,841 cases filed since its formation in November 2009. Maiga’s sentence sends a clear message that identity theft and financial fraud will not be tolerated in Maryland.