U.S. Army Recruiter Charged with Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

NEWARK, N.J. - A sergeant first class in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army recruiter has been charged for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to defraud a credit union by using her position to obtain the personally identifying information of U.S. Army recruits and recruit candidates and submit fraudulent bank account applications to the credit union on the recruits' behalf, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Jane Crosby, 33, of Jersey City, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of bank fraud and seven counts of aggravated identity theft. Crosby appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From Sept. 12, 2023, to Dec. 27, 2023, Crosby submitted "Pre-Active Duty Membership" bank account applications to a credit union on behalf of seven U.S. Army recruits or purported recruits, without their knowledge or consent. Such accounts are intended to facilitate the direct deposit of soon-to-be service members' salaries once they join the military. These applications included the victims' names and Social Security numbers as well as copies of their passports, driver's licenses, and/or Social Security cards. Once these credit union accounts were opened, Crosby, posing as the victims, applied for approximately $266,000 in loans and credit card accounts and used some of the accounts to deposit fraudulent checks and then withdraw funds.

The bank fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The aggravated identity theft counts carry an additional consecutive mandatory minimum term of two years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Joel Kirch, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.