Judge Sentencing
Travis Sopson used at least three fake identities to steal nearly $275,000 from three credit unions and two banks within just five months, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Mobile, Ala.
U.S. District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer last month sentenced the 45-year-old Sopson to 46 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $274,722 in restitution. He pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one felony count of bank fraud, according to court documents.
Sopson’s fraud scheme began in August 2022 when he opened a savings and checking account at a Mobile branch of the $3.5 billion All In Federal Credit Union with a fraudulent Georgia driver’s license and an earnings statement that belonging to another person identified in court documents as T.M. Sopson later applied for and received a $25,000 loan.
In September, Sopson walked into the same All In branch in Mobile and opened accounts using a fake Florida driver’s license and earnings statement belonging to another person identified in court documents as J.S. Sopson later applied for a $25,000 loan, which was denied.
That same month, Sopson also attempted to open an account at a Mobile branch of the $4.3 billion Keelser Federal Credit Union with a fake ID.
The branch manager reported the attempted incident to police after receiving a fraud alert email from All In, court records stated.
In December, Sopson opened an account and applied for a $15,000 loan after he walked into a Mobile branch of the $1.9 billion Tyndall Federal Credit Union using a phony Virginia driver’s license and an Alabama utility bill belonging to another person identified in court documents as J.B. That loan was approved.
Court documents also showed another person fraudulently obtained a Wells Fargo account tied to Sopson’s case, leading to a potential $57,761 loss for the bank. In addition, checks related to this case were drawn at Synovus Bank and Regions Bank, which reported a returned check of $1,350.
Although the total losses in this case amounted to more than $99,000, court documents did not explain how the restitution order of 274,722 was calculated. Federal prosecutors and Sopson’s lawyer did not respond to a CU Times request for clarification.
Peter Strozniak can be reached at pstrozniak@cutimes.com.
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