JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—A Jacksonville credit union member is facing prison time after being indicted for allegedly opening more than $60,000 in fraudulent loans and accounts using stolen identities, Jacksonville.com reported.
Abigail Payton has been indicted on multiple charges tied to accounts opened at Community First Credit Union in Jacksonville and another credit union in South Florida. According to federal prosecutors, Payton used four different sets of identifying information—including driver’s licenses from at least two other states, along with stolen birthdates and Social Security numbers—to carry out the fraud, Jacksonville.com said.
She faces four counts of bank fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft. The latter charge carries a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, to be served consecutively with any sentence for other convictions.
According to data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission, fewer than 2% of those convicted of identity theft in 2023 avoided prison time. The average sentence was 51 months, while those convicted of additional crimes alongside identity theft received an average of 54 months, or four and a half years, Jacksonville.com noted.
Although Payton has been indicted for using stolen identities to open credit union accounts and secure loans, authorities have yet to disclose the names of the alleged victims to those involved in the case, Jacksonville.com said.
Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard ordered prosecutors on to submit that information—under seal—by June 27.
According to the indictment, Payton opened an account at a Community First Credit Union branch in Jacksonville in September 2023 using someone else’s identity. Just three days later, she allegedly opened another account under a different name. Prosecutors say the second account was used to obtain a $25,000 loan by the end of that month, while the first account was tied to a $35,000 loan issued in October, Jacksonville.com said.
Payton allegedly used falsified driver’s licenses from Georgia and Texas to open the accounts, each featuring her photo alongside someone else’s personal information, Jacksonville.com said.
Authorities also contend that Payton used additional stolen identities to open two more accounts at Space Coast Credit Union branches in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in November 2023. While no loans were obtained from those accounts, prosecutors said Payton wrote large checks—including one for $1,500 and another for $2,000—despite only having $25 in each account, Jacksonville.com added.