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Serial Con Artist Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud
Tampa, Florida – Latasha Callens, a 35-year-old Tampa resident, pleaded guilty to bank fraud, access device fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft, according to Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III.
Callens faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a sentencing date has not yet been set. The indictment against Callens was issued on July 24, 2013, and she committed the crimes from at least as early as July 2011 through May 2013.
According to the plea agreement, Callens defrauded banks and individuals at least 58 times over a period of two years. She would approach people at ATMs and give them a sad story about her need to cash a check and her inability to deposit the check into her bank account. Callens would convince her victims to deposit the worthless checks into their own accounts and then withdraw funds, sometimes giving them $100 for their trouble.
The checks were generally drawn on closed accounts, as they had been stolen or were from the accounts of deceased individuals. When Callens was arrested in May 2013, authorities recovered a checkbook stolen from a victim’s purse at a local mall, along with the victim’s Florida Driver’s License, Social Security card, a Visa card, and a GTE FCU debit card. Callens was never given permission to possess or use these items.
Callens also committed access device fraud by using the stolen identity of ‘T.J.’ to obtain $12,000 worth of dental services at a Clearwater dental office. She was assisted by another woman who claimed to be ‘E.A.’ and used her stolen credit card number to pay for Callens’ dental treatment.
Furthermore, Callens committed mail fraud by stealing the identities of taxpayers and filing false and fraudulent tax returns using her laptop. She obtained tax refunds to which she was not entitled, accessing them through bank-issued debit cards mailed to her. This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and other agencies. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.
RELATED: ’68-Year-Old New Haven Con Artist Lands in Hot Water for Bank Fraud, Identity Theft
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Banking Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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