October 01, 2015
A Philadelphia man was indicted Thursday for an alleged fraud scheme involving bad checks and solicitation on social media, federal prosecutors announced.
The defendant, 23-year-old Aaron Dashawn Caple, is accused of using Twitter and Facebook to obtain ATM bank card and PIN information from victims he solicited as potential co-schemers.
According to the indictment, Caple asked victims if they wanted to make quick cash and then asked them for account information at banks and other financial institutions in Philadelphia and surrounding areas. After allegedly gaining access to their accounts, he then allegedly deposited bad checks and withdrew the funds before the banks and financial institutions became aware of the fraud.
Prosecutors allege that Caple also used the ATM cards and PIN information at various stores to purchase goods and request cash back. In return for allegedly receiving account information, prosecutors say Caple distributed a portion of the more than $45,000 he allegedly obtained as a result of the scheme.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of two years in prison and maximum sentence of 144 years, up to five years of supervised release, a fine as high as $9.5 million and restitution of at least $47,000.
