Former Chase Financial Corp. Employees Indicted for Unlawful Access to Chase Manhattan Bank and Chase Financial Corp. Computer Systems

Emily M. Sweeney, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced that a federal grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio, returned an indictment charging Makeebrah A. Turner, age 32, of 3537 East 147th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, and Patrice M. Williams, age 26, of 12700 Shaker Blvd., Apt. 714, Cleveland, Ohio 44120, with two counts of computer fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1030(a)(4)and 1030(a)(2)(A).

Count 1 of the indictment, which charges a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1030(a)(4), charges that between approximately November 1999, and on or about December 12, 2000, in the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Makeebrah A. Turner and Patrice M. Williams, while employed by Chase Financial Corporation, 1500 W. 3rd Street, Cleveland, Ohio, did knowingly and with the intent to further a scheme to defraud Chase Manhattan Bank and Chase Financial Corporation, access one or more Chase Manhattan Bank and Chase Financial Corporation computer systems without authorization or in excess of their authorized access on said computer systems, thereby obtaining credit card account numbers and other customer account information pertaining to approximately sixty-eight (68) accounts, which they were not authorized to access in connection with their duties at Chase Financial Corporation. The indictment charges that the aggregate credit limits for said accounts totaled approximately $580,700.00.

Count 1 of the indictment further charges that after fraudulently obtaining said credit card account numbers and customer account information, Turner and Williams distributed and transmitted said financial information to one or more individuals located in the Northern District of Georgia via facsimile transmission, who, in turn, used the credit card accounts and other financial information to fraudulently obtain goods and services valued at approximately $99,636.08, without the knowledge or consent of the account holders, Chase Manhattan Bank or Chase Financial Corporation.

Count 2 of the indictment, which charges a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1030(a)(2)(A), charges that between November 1999, and on or about December 12, 2000, Turner and Williams intentionally accessed one or more computer systems in excess of their authorized access, thereby obtaining information in a financial record of a financial institution, and obtaining information of a card issuer, as defined in Title 15, U.S.C., Section 1602(n), thereby obtaining information from protected computers for purposes of commercial advantage and private financial gain, and in furtherance of criminal violations
of U.S. and Ohio law.

The maximum statutory penalty for violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1030(a)(4) and 1030(a)(2)(A) are 5 years imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Kern, following an investigation by the Cleveland Office of the United States Secret Service.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

• More information on: Defendants' Sentences
• More information on: Turner's Plea
• More information on: Computer Intrusion Cases
• More information on: Computer Crime

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