A Newark man, Cory Scott Becker, has been sentenced to federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the sentencing following Becker's guilty plea on October 24, 2024.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales sentenced Becker to a 36-month term of imprisonment. During the hearing, additional evidence was presented regarding Becker's role and the broader scheme to steal funds.
Christopher Carr from Corpus Christi had previously been sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison. Joseph Aguilar, also from Corpus Christi, received a 12-month sentence, while Emmett Jimenez from Yoakum was sentenced to 18 months.
The investigation began after a complaint that $30,000 had been withdrawn from an account at a credit union in Corpus Christi. The bank's risk management team found that between February 16 and March 8, 2022, there were 44 unauthorized transactions across approximately 18 accounts.
Law enforcement confirmed these unauthorized withdrawals through interviews with account owners. The investigation revealed that the transactions were made using an interactive teller machine by exploiting account holders' Social Security and bank account numbers.
Authorities identified Becker, Carr, Aguilar, and Jimenez as conspirators who used this information to illegally withdraw funds from credit union accounts.
Becker has been allowed to remain on bond pending his transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The FBI led the investigation with support from the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.