Philadelphia Man Charged With Using Social Media To Commit Bank And Aggravated Identity Theft

 An Indictment[1]  was returned today charging Steven Ronald Randall, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with 2 counts of bank fraud and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.

The Indictment alleges that Randall used social media service Facebook to solicit persons to provide him with their bank ATM cards and PIN numbers so that he could deposit bad checks into their accounts and withdraw the funds before the banks and other financial institutions realized that the checks were bad.  The Indictment alleges that Randall went to numerous ATM machines in Philadelphia and the surrounding area to make the deposits and withdrawals, and also used the ATM cards and PIN numbers at various stores, including Walmart, CVS, RiteAid, Wawa, 7-Eleven, Pathmark, and Giant, to purchase goods and obtain cash back prior to the banks discovering that the checks were bad.  The Indictment further alleges that Randall paid the account holders a portion of the over $47,000 he unlawfully obtained as a result of the scheme.

Randall faces a maximum sentence of 80 years’ incarceration, including a mandatory two-year term of imprisonment, a five-year period of supervised release, a fine of $4,500,000, and restitution of at least $52,000. He also faces a likely advisory sentencing guideline range of somewhere between 61 months’ and 286 months’ imprisonment. 

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.