Press Releases
THREE PEOPLE INDICTED BY FEDERAL GRAND JURY FOR BANK FRAUD CONSPIRACY
July 28, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEGAN M. MERRIMAN, age 22, SARA M. SMITH, age 23, and ALVIN L. WELCH, age 41, were charged Friday, July 25, 2008, in a fifteen count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury involving a conspiracy to commit bank fraud announced U. S. Attorney, Jim Letten.
According to the indictment, from August 30, 2007 through October, 2007, all three co-defendants participated in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The indictment charges that MERRIMAN, SMITH and WELCH, were recruited by an individual identified as ‘E.M” to cash fraudulently altered stolen checks which were stolen from residential mail boxes. The checks were forged and altered so as to increase the amount and made payable to the defendants. Additionally, in the memo section of the check, “mother’s care staff” “ home health care” or “care staff” was added. To further the conspiracy, it is alleged that MERRIMAN and SMITH, posing as home health care providers, wore scrubs to various banks to cash checks altered by E.M. Additional checks were altered and made payable to WELCH, which were fraudulently cashed at local banks, were altered to state “home repairs” or “renovations completed” in the memo section.
Counts 2 through 15 set forth each individual incident of bank fraud committed the defendants.
If convicted of Count 1, MERRIMAN, SMITH and WELCH face five (5) years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Count 2 through 15 each carries up to thirty (30) years imprisonment and a fine of not more than $1,000,000.
U. S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation was conducted by U. S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Julia K. Evans.
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