A Charlotte woman has been charged with multiple federal offenses for allegedly using stolen identities to secure college student loans for her family members. Tammy Cox, 52, was indicted by a grand jury and appeared in federal court for her initial hearing.
The charges were announced by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. She was joined in the announcement by Jason Krizmanich, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
According to the indictment, from August 2019 through at least July 2023, Cox is accused of stealing the identities of five co-workers to fraudulently obtain college student loans. It is alleged that she used their Social Security Numbers and falsely claimed they were cosigners on loan applications, misrepresenting that they had agreed to share responsibility for these loans. The indictment claims that Cox applied for at least 13 college student loans totaling more than $250,000.
Cox faces one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and seven counts of financial institution fraud. Each charge could result in a maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine. Additionally, she is charged with five counts of disclosing Social Security Numbers, each carrying a potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The allegations against Cox are not yet proven in court; she remains innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation was conducted by the USPIS and CMPD. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick is prosecuting the case.