Seattle – Amber Towndrow, a leader in a $1.4 million nationwide bank fraud scheme, has been sentenced to six years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Towndrow, 36, along with coconspirator Darby Canfield, 35, was indicted in April 2024.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead remarked on the sophistication of the crime: “This was not a simple crime of desperation, this was a sophisticated nationwide fraud…. It was not a momentary loss in judgement. Despite one arrest, you continued in the scheme…. You did not just steal money, you stole peace of mind.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Miller stated that Towndrow was a primary actor in the operation and successfully impersonated her victims by memorizing their personal details. “This significant federal sentence is aimed at setting her on a new, law-abiding path,” said Miller.
Court records indicate that Towndrow and her accomplices acquired personal identifying information from at least 19 victims across the country. In Western Washington, they used this information to register businesses with the Washington Secretary of State and open business bank accounts linked to victims' personal accounts. They transferred funds from these accounts to purchase money orders and high-value goods using fake IDs.
Towndrow committed fraud and identity theft in several states including Washington, Colorado, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Indiana, and Washington D.C.
One case involved defrauding an Illinois victim by creating a company registered in Colorado and transferring $131,709 from their account into a business account opened by Towndrow in Seattle. She then purchased 128 U.S. Postal Service money orders totaling $126,653.
In another instance detailed in her plea agreement, Towndrow defrauded a Texas resident of $75,000.
Towndrow admitted to opening at least 50 business bank accounts and attempting to obtain $1.4 million; she successfully obtained $664,000.
The crimes had significant impacts on individual victims beyond financial losses; some experienced stress during important life events such as weddings or faced long-term consequences like defending against debt collections or decreases in credit scores.
Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite emphasized these impacts: “For some victims the impact may last a lifetime... Victims often also encumber severe non-financial impacts such as to their mental health and well-being.”
The investigation involved The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Diplomatic Security Service,and Seattle Police Department.The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite.
