A New York woman has admitted guilt in a federal court in Portland to charges of bank fraud, false use of a passport, and aggravated identity theft. The defendant, Theresa Hartung, 62, attempted to withdraw money from a credit union account in Gray using a falsified passport card.
Court documents reveal that the incident took place in February 2024. Hartung used a passport card with her photo but the personal details of another account holder. She also presented the victim's Social Security number during the transaction.
Hartung is facing severe penalties. For the bank fraud charge alone, she could receive up to 30 years in federal prison, incur a fine of $1 million, and face up to five years of supervised release. The false use of a passport charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. Additionally, for aggravated identity theft, there is a mandatory two-year prison term that must be served consecutively to any other sentences imposed. This charge also includes fines up to $250,000 and one year of supervised release.
The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation leading to Hartung's guilty plea.