A federal grand jury has issued a superseding indictment against Brendyn Andrew, 33, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Dominique Collins, 37, of Stafford, Virginia. This development follows the initial indictment in February 2025 against Andrew for aggravated identity theft and other charges related to fraud and misuse of government resources.
The new charges against Andrew include possession of unauthorized access devices, passport fraud, and tampering with a witness. Collins is also named as a co-defendant for witness tampering.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced these indictments alongside Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker from the USDA Office of Inspector General Northeast Region and Special Agent in Charge David M. Richeson from the Diplomatic Security Service Washington Field Office.
The indictment reveals that in October 2022, Andrew allegedly possessed more than 15 electronic benefit transfer cards with fraudulent intent. Additionally, he is accused of using another person's identification to apply for a U.S. passport in February 2024. By March 2025, both Andrew and Collins are alleged to have tampered with an email account to obstruct its use in court proceedings.
If convicted on all counts, Andrew could face significant prison time: two years minimum for aggravated identity theft; up to five years each for benefits fraud and social security number misuse; up to ten years each for theft of government property and possession of unauthorized access devices; fifteen years for passport fraud; and twenty years for witness tampering. Both defendants face potential sentences of up to twenty years for tampering charges.
Sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other factors. It is important to note that an indictment or superseding indictment does not equate to guilt; those charged are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court.
U.S. Attorney Hayes acknowledged the efforts of USDA-OIG and DSS during the investigation while also thanking the Montgomery County Police Department for their assistance. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon is prosecuting this case.
Further information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-md.