HARRISBURG, Pa.–A Steelton man who joined a conspiracy to defraud PSECU by allowing a scammer to deposit stolen checks into his bank account and then immediately withdraw cash was found guilty in Dauphin County Court earlier this week, according to prosecutors.
Sammee D. Childs, 29, connected with Masharad Carter, a local scammer, who advertised on Instagram he could make anybody quick money so long as they had a PSECU debit card and pin number, according to a news release. Prosecutors allege Childs provided Carter with his bank account information and Carter deposited stolen checks into his account and withdraw the money. Carter then gave a portion of the money back to Childs and instructed him to file a police report, claiming his debit card and pin number had been stolen and his bank account was defrauded.
Investigators said Carter and Child withdrew $952.12 before the account was frozen. Prosecutors claim PSECU incurred a loss of over $22,000 by Carter, alone.
Childs was sentenced to 23 1/2 months of probation and was ordered to pay back restitution to PSECU. He was found guilty of theft by deception and criminal conspiracy to commit theft by deception.
Carter and the rest of his co-conspirators all plead guilty, except for Childs.
Prosecutors said Childs was a willing accomplice in the scheme and was trying to get-rich-quick by conspiring with Carter.