NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. — A North Tonawanda man pleaded guilty before in Federal Court to a conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge.
Investigators say Kingsley Brown, 22, had purchased approximately 570 stolen bank cards along with a co-defendant, Cross Malik Williams.
The US Attorney's Office says they found that Brown and Williams had used a card-making device to load the stolen banking card information onto blank plastic cards with magnetic strips. They were then able to make a purchase using the stolen funds from a victim's bank account.
Tens of thousands of dollars' worth of gas was purchased by the two. They would allow people to use their stolen bank cards to purchase gas and then those people would pay Williams or Brown an amount of money in return for less than the cost of the gas, according to investigators.
Brown agreed that he was responsible for $192,673 of total loss, as a part of his plea. Cross Malik Williams was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
A conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30-years in prison.
Brown's sentencing is scheduled for December 11, 2024.
