Tariq Hicks, Bank Fraud Conspiracy, Maryland 2016

Tariq Hicks, Eddie Carey, and Ishia Biff Cason Plead Guilty to Bank Fraud Scheme

Baltimore, Maryland – In a shocking turn of events, Tariq Hicks, age 48, of Owings Mills, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 2, 2016; and Eddie Carey, age 32; and Ishia Biff Cason, age 36, both of Baltimore, pleaded guilty on May 5, 2016, to bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft arising from a scheme to use stolen credit information of more than 200 victims to defraud financial institutions.

The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Special Agent in Charge Brian Murphy of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office.

According to their plea agreements, from at least June 2013, through December 18, 2013, Hicks, Carey, Cason, and others, conspired to defraud financial institutions by accessing stolen credit card and debit card accounts belonging to real people and using counterfeit cards encoded with the stolen account information to make unauthorized purchases.

Hicks purchased the stolen account information over the internet and used a computer and an electronic device called a “reader-writer” to encode the stolen credit and debit card information onto existing credit cards, gift cards, or other similar cards. These cards were sold or distributed to co-conspirators, such as Carey and Cason, who used them and provided the bulk of the proceeds to Hicks.

Hicks also purchased or obtained over the internet “credit profiles” containing the identity information of victims. He then obtained full credit reports for these victims. Using the information from the credit reports, Hicks sent co-conspirators into stores where the victims had existing credit accounts, with the victim’s personal identity information so that they could “authenticate” themselves as the victim.

Carey assisted Hicks by conducting wire transfers of money in payment for the stolen credit card numbers and personal profiles. Carey always used a victim identity, provided by Hicks, to wire the money, usually between $2,000 and $3,000, to an individual in the Ukraine. As one of the few men participating in the conspiracy, Carey was often involved in the exploitation of any male victim’s identity and account information.

Cason, who was on probation at the time and not allowed to travel outside of Maryland, conducted her fraudulent activities in Maryland. On December 18, 2013, a search warrant was executed at Hicks’ residence, where evidence of the scheme was discovered.

The guilty pleas of Hicks, Carey, and Cason bring an end to a scheme that defrauded financial institutions of thousands of dollars. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting personal identity information and the consequences of engaging in bank fraud.

Defendant: Tariq Hicks

Criminal Charges: Bank Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity Theft

City and State: Baltimore, Maryland

Date: May 2, 2016 (Hicks), May 5, 2016 (Carey and Cason)

Sentence: Not specified

Dollar Amounts: $2,000 to $3,000

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/leader-and-two-co-conspirators-plead-guilty-week-bank-fraud-scheme-involving-over-200