West Dallas Man Accused of Depositing More Than $15 Million in Stolen Treasury Checks Using Fake Identities
DALLAS - A West Dallas man has been arrested on federal charges accusing him of using stolen identities, fake driver's licenses and forged corporate documents to deposit more than $15 million in U.S. Treasury checks intended for businesses across the country.
34-year-old Kendrick Lamont Fugett was arrested Aug. 20 on a federal criminal complaint charging him with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas.
The complaint was filed Aug. 14. Fugett is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Dallas on Aug. 21.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Fugett assumed the identity of the chief financial officer of an Austin-based software company and used a fraudulent Texas driver's license and forged corporate documents to open a business account at an Origin Bank branch in Dallas.
Prosecutors allege Fugett then deposited a U.S. Treasury refund check worth more than $13.8 million that was intended for the software company.
Investigators say the scheme extended to multiple Dallas-area financial institutions.
In another transaction, Fugett allegedly deposited a Treasury refund check worth more than $447,000 at a Bank of America branch in Mesquite. Authorities say he assumed the identity of the billionaire chairman of the holding company associated with the business that was supposed to receive the check.
Fugett allegedly presented a fraudulent Illinois driver's license containing his own photograph but the other man's identity.
The affidavit describes Fugett as a "recidivist identity thief" and details several outstanding warrants from law enforcement agencies across North Texas.
Authorities said Fugett is wanted by the Collin, Dallas and Denton county sheriff's offices and Arlington police for offenses that include fraudulent use or possession of identifying information and making false statements to obtain property or credit.
The affidavit also states that Nashville Airport Police arrested Fugett in July 2024 after he allegedly tried to open bank accounts using fraudulent identities.
If convicted, Fugett faces up to 30 years in federal prison on the bank fraud charge. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison term that generally must be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the underlying felony.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Schwab and Ignacio Perez de la Cruz are prosecuting.
The charges in a criminal complaint are allegations, and Fugett is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
