Nationwide Bank Fraud, Identity Theft Scheme Sends GA Man To Jail

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — A Sandy Springs man was sentenced to prison for his involvement in a nationwide bank fraud and identity theft scheme.

Sean Christopher Williams, 40, of Sandy Springs, was sentenced to three years in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $185,920 in restitution by United States District Court Judge John Padova for a nationwide bank fraud and identity theft scheme.

In February 2020, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and attempt, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Williams used stolen identities to open fraudulent accounts at multiple banks, but he left the accounts unfunded. Williams then repeatedly transferred “funds” from one fraudulent account to another, knowing that the transferring account did not have any funds to support the transfer, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“This was a sophisticated fraud scheme with many victims from across the country, and it took top-notch investigative work to unravel,” Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said. “Financial fraud and identity theft is often financially devastating for victims. Prosecuting these cases will continue to be a top priority of the United States Attorney’s Office.”

He would then use the receiving account to pay a variety of financial accounts in his name, including credit cards and student loans, before the receiving bank found no incoming funds. This scheme resulted in more than $185,000 in losses to the banks and impacted around 35 individual victims whose names and social security numbers were attached to the fraudulent accounts.

“Sean Williams not only defrauded multiple banks, he dragged dozens of innocent people into his scheme by stealing their identities,” said Michael Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “The impacts of identity theft can be serious and far-reaching for victims. Whether you take money that’s not yours or someone else’s personal information, the FBI is going to ensure you’re held accountable.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Rinaldi.