NORFOLK, Va. – A second man pleaded guilty yesterday to an identity theft scheme that used identifications of Navy FCU members to obtain as much as $500,000 in loans.
Darnell Barnwell and others obtained identities and account information of people who had accounts with the credit union. They used the information to obtain loans, and then intercepted the checks from the credit union and forged the identity theft victims’ signatures.
The scheme involved about $500,000.
Barnwell’s guilty plea follows last fall’s conviction of his accomplice in the case, Christopher Moore, 29.
The conspirators falsely represented to the credit union that the identity theft victims would be using the loan proceeds to buy a used car or motorcycle, according to court records. After Navy Federal approved the loans and sent out checks, Moore and others intercepted the checks, forged the identity theft victims’ signatures to the checks, and recruited third parties to help cash the checks at the credit union.
Barnwell is scheduled to be sentenced June 6.
