Minnesota woman sentenced for defrauding 30 credit unions in multiple states

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Minnesota woman was sentenced in federal court for using stolen identities to defraud 30 credit unions and businesses across multiple states. 

Maegen Fortin, 40, of Otsego, Minnesota, was sentenced in an Iowa federal court on Friday to 93 months (7.75 years) in prison for her involvement in defrauding dozens of credit unions and four businesses in eight states.

According to court records, Fortin acquired over $460,000 from credit unions and businesses throughout Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota between March 2020 and September 2021.

She utilized fraudulent passports, military IDs, driver’s licenses and other people’s personal information to open accounts and credit cards, as well as apply for loans and lines of credit in the victim’s names, court documents explained.  

The Department of Justice said Fortin used the identities of at least 90 people during her scheme. In September 2022, she pleaded to one count of financial transaction fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. 

A federal judge ordered her to pay $463,774 in restitution to the affected credit unions and businesses in court on Friday. 

Fortin has been previously convicted in Minnesota court on charges of possessing stolen checks, using cards without consent, theft by swindle, and possessing a fraudulent form of state identification.