Dajuan Taylor, a 24-year-old resident of Washington, DC, has entered a guilty plea in federal court to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud. The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Washington Division.
The guilty plea details that between July 2018 and November 2021, Taylor and his associates were involved in stealing, altering, and fraudulently negotiating approximately 53 checks. The scheme aimed to defraud victims of at least $497,766.80. Taylor utilized social media platforms like Instagram to recruit individuals willing to provide their account information for use in the fraudulent activities.
While some participants were aware of their involvement in the scheme, others were not informed that their bank accounts were being used for negotiating stolen checks. Taylor further expanded the operation by recruiting additional bank-account holders using information linked to these fraudulent transactions.
Taylor is facing a potential maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment for each count against him. His sentencing is set for Tuesday, September 2, at 11:30 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised USPIS for its role in the investigation and extended thanks to Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris who is handling the prosecution.
For further details about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office or resources on reporting fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
