A digital illustration of the U.S. dollar sign
A federal judge sentenced former Alabama Credit Union employee Brianna McKala Johnson to 60 months of probation, including 14 months of home detention, for her involvement in a social media wire fraud scheme, leading to hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses for the $1.9 billion, Tuscaloosa-based financial cooperative.
During a court hearing last week, U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala in Birmingham also ordered Johnson to pay $3,270 in restitution and a $100 assessment fee. She pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy in September 2024.
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Administrators of a Telegram channel called “The Lucky Shop,” which sold stolen and fraudulent checks and bank login information, contacted Johnson, a former member care specialist for eServices at Alabama Credit Union (ACU). The administrators were Joshua Kendarius Rogers, Duane Wiley Smith and Levar Tilie McGhee-Parrish, according to court documents.
In September 2022, one of the administrators referenced a credit union insider with access to account information, including usernames, passwords, card numbers and PINs. This administrator also posted social media messages claiming to have access to accounts with balances of more than $500,000 and $3 million.
Smith and McGhee-Parrish worked with Rogers and others to commit bank fraud — depositing fraudulent checks, submitting false loan applications, initiating fake automated clearinghouse transfers and using stolen passcodes to withdraw funds from ATMs.
The scheme also involved manipulation of ACU’s Call-24 telephonic service, which provides members with a PIN code to withdraw funds at an ATM or ITM without a card.
Prosecutors said Johnson altered account holders’ Call-24 PIN codes, enabling Rogers, Smith and McGhee-Parrish to make at least $23,500 in fraudulent ITM withdrawals over several days in January 2023, before Johnson was fired.
The administrators paid Johnson via Cash App.
Rogers, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay bribes, conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced last week to 90 months in prison. He was ordered to pay $381,732 in restitution.
Smith was sentenced to 48 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and identity theft. McGhee-
Parrish was sentenced to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. Both were ordered to pay $86,513 in restitution.
Another participant in the scheme was Michael Christopher Rowser, who abused his position as a U.S. Postal Service employee by accepting bribes to steal checks sold on “The Lucky Shop” channel. He was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to receive bribes and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was also ordered to pay $86,513 in restitution.
Peter Strozniak can be reached at [email protected].
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Peter Strozniak
Credit Union Times reporter covering credit union operations, fraud, M&As, leagues, business continuity, and breaking news.
