Fairbanks Woman Indicted on Federal Bank Fraud and Identity Theft Charges

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Natascha Sabrina Clark, 35, of Fairbanks, has been named in an 11-count federal indictment charging her with fraudulent transactions with an access device, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  Clark was arrested on Aug. 26, 2019, and has since been ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment, on May 25, 2017, Clark is alleged to have made several fraudulent transactions using a stolen credit card, including a $2,439.90 purchase to Evolve Skateboards.  From November 2018 to January 2019, using a stolen business credit card, Clark allegedly made an additional 61 fraudulent purchases totaling $4,854.14.

The indictment further alleges that, in November 2018, Clark knowingly stole checks for an Alaska USA Federal Credit Union account from an individual’s mailbox and created or obtained a counterfeit identification document bearing that individual’s name, address, and driver’s license number, but with Clark’s photograph.  It is alleged that Clark then began executing fraudulent transactions using the individual’s stolen checks at numerous businesses for her personal benefit.  Specifically, over the course of three days in November 2018, Clark obtained money from Alaska USA Federal Credit Union by causing the transfer of funds to numerous businesses, including Ulta Salon, Barnes & Noble, and Fred Meyer.

If convicted, Clark faces a maximum of up to 30 years in federal prison for the most serious charges alleged in the indictment.  In addition, Clark faces a mandatory sentence of two years in prison on each aggravated identity theft charge.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Alaska State Troopers (AST), the Fairbanks Police Department (FPD), and the North Pole Police Department (NPPD) conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan D. Tansey.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.