Suspect Tried to Pass $8 million in Bogus Checks on Treasury Department FCU

WASHINGTON – A Silver Spring, Md., man was found guilty by a federal jury last week of trying to pass two phony government checks totaling more than $8 million on Treasury Department FCU. Edward Brown, Jr., was convicted of bank fraud and uttering fictitious obligations and faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced in October. Brown became a member at the Washington credit union on July 18, 2005, then returned two days later in an attempt to deposit a $2.9 million certified draft from the U.S. Treasury. Officials with credit union and federal agents subsequently told him the draft was worthless and attempts to deposit it were illegal. About seven months later he returned to the credit union and tried to deposit another phony U.S. Treasury check for $5.5 million, and he requested that part of the funds be wired to a settlement company in Maryland for the purchase of a $1.8 million property.