United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Minneapolis, Minnesota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Jason Maurice Fagin, age 38, was indicted on May 9, 2017. He is currently being held in Minnesota and will make his initial appearance in South Dakota in the near future.
The maximum penalties upon conviction for each count are as follows: Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud has a penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment and/or a $1,000,000 fine; Aggravated Identity Theft requires a mandatory 2 years of imprisonment, to be served consecutively to any term of imprisonment for the Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud offense; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine has a penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment and/or a $1,000,000 fine. Each count of conviction requires a term of years of supervised release and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution and forfeiture may also be ordered.
According to the indictment, between September 2016 and Nov. 16, 2016, Fagin engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions while using the personal identifying information of other individuals. Fagin would use the proceeds of the fraud scheme to purchase methamphetamine for his use and to distribute to others for money.
The charges are merely accusations and Fagin is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Flandreau Police Department, and the Flandreau Sioux Tribe’s Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
