For a while, the nicknames “Diamond” and “Drop” were the only two gems Gwinnett County police had in solving a massive check fraud case.
Eventually, authorities found a wealth of information – and thousands of dollars in bad checks – that led to an eight-member identity theft ring.
Police have charged six people. Two of them had worked at Bank of America and Wachovia.
The charges come after investigators with Gwinnett police’s electronic and financial crimes unit began looking into several check fraud cases starting in 2009, investigators said.
The checks -- a total of $420,000 -- were written from commercial and personal Bank of America and Wachovia accounts. Investigators said while a small group of people were writing the forged checks, they recruited others to cash them as an attempted cover-up.
Investigators have named and charged six of the eight people involved in the fraud ring.
Tabitha Clarke, 37, of Dacula, has been charged with 19 counts of financial identity fraud; 11 counts of second-degree forgery; four counts of party to the crime of forgery; and three counts of firearm possession.
Adlai Clarke, 34, of Dacula, has been charged with two counts of financial identity fraud; three counts of party to the crime of forgery; and one count of conspiracy to commit financial identity theft.
Tamika Crayton, 24, of Atlanta has been charged with 10 counts of financial identity fraud. Crayton is a former Bank of America employee.
Stephanie Williams, 42, of Atlanta, has been charged with 10 counts of financial identity fraud. Williams is a former Wachovia employee.
Kimberly Daley, 29, of Decatur, has been charged with financial identity fraud and conspiracy to commit forgery.
Authorities have identified a sixth person but have not released the name.
Investigators said they expect to make additional arrests.
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