Kentucky man and woman charged with bilking bank out of thousands, feds say

A Kentucky man and woman have been charged with identify theft, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, federal prosecutors said.

A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on May 7, 2024, charging a Frankfort man and woman with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

According to the indictment, from May 2021 to December 2022, Kendrick C. Brown, 33, and Brooke R. Williams, 33, both formerly of Louisville, unlawfully obtained money and property totaling over $130,000 from a federally insured financial institution.

Brown and Williams utilized several business entities they created to obtain commercial lines of credit. Using lines of credit issued to “Kendrick Brown Properties, LLC,” “BBS Tax Services, LLC,” and “Little Brown People, LLC,” Brown and Williams funded personal expenditures on items such as jewelry, salon visits, high-end clothing, dining out, and thousands of dollars in retail gift cards.

As they approached and exceeded the limits on the commercial lines of credit, Brown and Williams made a series of fraudulent transactions that appeared to be automated clearinghouse (“ACH”) payments on the accounts. In making these fraudulent transactions, Brown and Williams used account numbers for closed accounts and accounts belonging to other people.

These fraudulent transactions temporarily freed up more credit on the accounts and Brown and Williams continued to make fraudulent purchases.

Brown and Williams made their initial court appearances yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

If convicted, Brown and Williams each face a maximum sentence of 120 years in prison followed by a mandatory minimum 24 months in prison for identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is being investigated by the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin McKenzie is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.