Maplewood man convicted of $438K credit card fraud

After five hours of deliberation, a federal jury convicted a 36-year-old Maplewood man for scheming more than $483,000 from victims.

Marcus Kwamena Benson was found guilty on one count of bank fraud conspiracy, nine counts of bank fraud, three counts of access device fraud, 10 counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of possession of document-making implements, one count of possession of unauthorized access devices, and one count of possession of device-making equipment.

According to court documents, Benson used the name and personal identification information of account holders other than himself to apply for and receive credit cards from financial institutions.

Benson also obtained funds from home equity line accounts by unlawfully ordering checks, having them diverted to addresses he controlled, and then forwarding them to individuals in New York.

Benson then used the credit cards and fraudulently obtained checks to get cash from the bank accounts of others. Specifically, between 2007 and 2008, Benson withdrew monies from the accounts of nine people, totaling more than $483,000.

He also had computers, scanner and printer with the intent to produce false identification documents, as well as knowingly possessed 15 or more unauthorized credit cards and equipment to make credit card encoders with the intent to defraud.

Authorities began investigating Benson in June, after being notified by a fraud inspector from US Bank about numerous online fraudulent credit card applications. US Bank surveillance videos captured Benson withdrawing money from several different ATM accounts that were not in his name.

The card from one approved application was sent to a foreclosed St. Paul residence, at

which investigations learned that Benson had resided from 2003 to 2007.

On April 22, 2008, one of the approved credit cards was used to purchase an airline ticket

from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in Benson’s name. On April 23, Benson flew to Amsterdam and then flew to Accra, Ghana. On May 3, Benson returned to Minnesota, and during a routine search by U.S. Customs, a photograph was taken of a document Benson had in his possession, featuring the credit card account number.

Benson faces a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the conspiracy count, 30 years on each bank fraud count, 10 years on each access device fraud count, 15 years on the document-making possession count, 10 years on the possession of unauthorized access devices count, 10 years on the possession of access device implements counts, and a two-year mandatory minimum on each aggravated identity theft count.

Sounds like that guy was a pro criminal.

Wow! I'm really surprised that they didn't catch up with him before now. Glad he is caught though. From the sounds of it, he's going to be spending the rest of his life in prison, where he needs to be!