$99,638 BANK FRAUD CONSPIRACY TO BE PROSECUTED

BIRMINGHAM, AL - An indictment has been filed in United States District Court charging RICHARD KEITH THOMPSON and MONICA MURPHY THOMPSON a/k/a MONICA MICHELLE MURPHY with conspiracy and bank fraud. RICHARD KEITH THOMPSON, 32, is a resident of Anniston, Alabama, and MONICA MURPHY THOMPSON, 36, is a resident of Gadsden, Alabama.

"This 2 1/2 year scheme netted the couple about $99,600 in fraudulently obtained money and goods which we will seek to recover through forfeiture," stated U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. "I remind the public, it is important to check your personal and your business credit reports and bank statements on a regular basis so you can detect if someone has fraudulently opened a credit card in your name."

The indictment charges that a bank fraud was committed against Woods Transportation, Inc., a corporation located in Gadsden. MONICA MURPHY THOMPSON was employed as the secretary and bookkeeper at Woods Transportation and had access to books and records of Woods Transportation, but was not authorized to sign checks for the company. Her husband is RICHARD KEITH THOMPSON . The indictment charges that the couple conspired to commit bank fraud by applying for and receiving two credit cards in the name of the owner of Woods Transportation. Once the credit cards were received, their scheme involved taking cash advances on the fraudulently received credit cards and using the money for personal gain. They then conspired to forge the signature of the owner on checks drawn on his back account to pay down balances on the credit cards. The conspiracy ran from March 2002 to May 2003 and rendered ill gotten gains in the approximate amount of $99,638.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The maximum sentence for bank fraud is thirty years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.

"We are fully committed to the investigation of white collar crimes," stated Carmen S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Birmingham Field Division. "Investigators within the banking industry are alert for fraudulent activity and eventually the trail leads to the identification of fraudsters."

This investigation of this matter was conducted by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William C. Athanas is prosecuting this matter on behalf of the U.S. Government.