U.S.

Department of J ustice

Ronald C. Machen Jr.
United States Attorney for the
District of Columbia
Judiciary Center
555 Fourth St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 4, 2014
For Information Contact:
Public Affairs
(202) 252-6933
http://www.justice.gov/usao/dc/index.html

Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $200,000
In Scam Targeting People Who Thought He Was a Taxicab Driver
-Defendant Stole ATM Cards, PIN Numbers From Unsuspecting Passengers-

WASHINGTON Nyerere Mitchell, 50, pled guilty today to carrying out a scheme in
which he offered rides to people who had been drinking, talked them into letting him withdraw
cash with their ATMS and pin numbers, and then secretly held onto their bank cards to generate
more than $200,000 for himself, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen J r. announced.

More than 60 people, mostly young adults, were conned in the scheme, which continued
from at least April 2009 through November 2013. Many of them thought that Mitchell was a
taxicab driver. Mitchell, who typically drove a silver-colored SUV Range Rover, often wore a
womans wig and padded breasts so that many of his passengers believed he was a woman.

Mitchell, of Clinton, Md., pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to
five counts of first-degree felony fraud. Each charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in
prison and financial penalties. The plea agreement calls for him to pay $228,036 in restitution.
The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for Oct. 10, 2014. He also ordered that
Mitchell be incarcerated pending the sentencing.

According to the governments evidence, Mitchell frequented areas such as Dupont
Circle, Adams Morgan, Foggy Bottom, Chinatown, and other busy neighborhoods in the District
of Columbia and Arlington, Va., offering rides to individuals he believed had been drinking. The
victims, in general, were intoxicated, and would give Mitchell their bank cards and pin numbers
and allow him to obtain cash for the rides that they were getting. Mitchell generally took the
passengers to drive-through ATMs on Wisconsin Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. He
created situations in which the passengers would need to provide him with the pin numbers and
cards because the ATM machines were located on the drivers side of the vehicle.

Unbeknownst to the victims, Mitchell often withdrew hundreds of dollars from the
ATMs -- as opposed to what they thought would be $10 to $40 fees. Often he would switch the
victims ATM card with another one that he had earlier stolen from someone else. In fact,
Mitchell maintained so many stolen cards that he could easily substitute a similar-looking card so
that the victims didnt notice the switch until much later.

Over the course of the next few days, Mitchell would use the stolen ATM card without
authorization or permission to purchase money orders, many of which he deposited into his
credit union account or used to make large purchases at various stores in the area.

An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to a search last
November of Mitchells home. Law enforcement recovered 205 stolen credit cards in plastic
bags inside a shoe box. They also found a wig that Mitchell can be seen wearing in bank
surveillance video. Mitchell was arrested Nov. 27, 2014.

In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who
investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for
the assistance provided by the Prince Georges County, Md., Police Department, Citibank, BB &
T Bank, Sun Trust Bank and Wells Fargo Bank. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those
who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorneys Office, including Paralegal Specialist Corinne
Kleinman, Legal Assistant Chris Samson, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie G. Miller, who
is investigating and prosecuting the matter.


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