United States Attorney Michael R. Stiles today announced the filing of an indictment charging Terrell Pollard and Isaiah Virgil Ginyard with bank fraud in violation of 18 USC Section 1344 relative to the deposit and cashing of a stolen $77,833 United States Treasury check with a forged signature.

The indictment further charges that in May, 1995, Pollard and Ginyard committed bank fraud, in violation of 18 USC Section 1344, when they cashed a counterfeit check in the amount of $140,000 drawn upon the Midlantic Bank account of the Infinity Broadcasting Corporation/ WYSP radio.

The indictment again charges that in June, 1995, Isaiah Virgil Ginyard committed bank fraud when he attempted to cash two counterfeit checks, totaling $299,000, drawn upon the Chemical Bank account of Arts and Entertainment Network, at two Philadelphia banks where Ginyard had opened accounts under a false name.

The indictment also charges Terrell Pollard with mail fraud in violation of 18 USC Section 1341. The indictment accuses Pollard of undertaking a scheme to defraud the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry out of $8,684.00 in unemployment compensation funds in June, 1995. According to the indictment, Pollard falsified his unemployment compensation application by misrepresenting his employment status and earnings with a business known as Pot of Gold Records. By falsifying his application for benefits, Pollard caused the state to mail 14 unemployment compensation checks that Pollard was not entitled to receive.

The indictment, in addition, charges defendants Isaiah Virgil Ginyard and Mark Harmond Davies with mail fraud in violation of 18 USC 1341. Davies filed a false application for unemployment benefits from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry in December, 1994. Davies misrepresented his employment status and earnings with a business known as Pot of Gold Records. As a result of filing this form, Davies caused the state to send him 13 unemployment compensation checks totaling $8,554. Davies delivered 12 of the 13 checks to Ginyard, who cashed the checks in a bank account he had opened under a false name.

Mark Harmond Davies also is being charged with an additional mail fraud count, in violation of 18 USC Section 1341. After Davies received the first set of checks cited in the preceding paragraph, he returned to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, and advised them that he had only received one of the 13 checks previously issued in his name. In September, 1995, Davies signed 12 separate affidavits for non-receipt of benefit checks, falsely certifying that he did not receive the 12 benefit checks and that he did not know who signed them. As a result of signing the affidavits, Davies caused the state to send him another set of 12 checks make out in his name, totaling $7,896.

Finally, Isaiah Virgil Ginyard is being charged with 18 additional counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 USC Section 1341, for perpetuating a scheme to defraud the Philadelphia Housing Authority out of approximately $8,378 in Philadelphia Housing Authority "Section 8" housing assistance benefits. In 1991, Ginyard applied for "Section 8" housing benefits under a false name, while falsely certifying that he was the owner of a West Philadelphia residential property, when in truth he was the tenant. As a result of the fraudulent application, Ginyard caused the Philadelphia Housing Authority to mail monthly benefit checks to Ginyard at his home address from 1991 until 1996. Ginyard would then falsely endorse the checks, and later cash the checks in a bank account under a false name.

Upon conviction, the defendants face the following sentences:

Defendant Terrell Pollard (Counts 1 and 2, 4)

Maximum 65 years imprisonment, not more than 5 years supervised release, and a $2,500,000 fine.

Defendant Isaiah Virgil Ginyard (Counts 1 through 3, 5, 7 through 24)

Maximum 185 years imprisonment, not more than 5 years supervised release, and a $7,750,000 fine.

Defendant Mark Harmond Davies (Counts 5 and 6)

Maximum 10 years imprisonment, not more than 3 years supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.

This case was investigated by agents of the Inspector General for Tax Administration for the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor, and investigators from the Inspector General's Office for the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Prosecution has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.

United States Attorney's Office Eastern District, Pennsylvania Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Philadelphia, PA 19106

Contact: Michael L. Levy             First Assistant U.S. Attorney             215-861-8599

Copies of news memos and related documents can also be found at: http://www.usao-edpa.com.