Airline Employee Sentenced on Federal Fraud Charges

BUFFALO—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Tinisha Tucker Anthony, 28, of Charlotte, North Carolina, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with identification documents, was sentenced to two years’ probation by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Catherine Baumgarten, who handled the case, stated that the defendant arranged for a birth certificate card to be issued by the city of Buffalo that contained the fingerprints and photograph of Derek Frank and the name of another person, namely, her stepson. In addition, Anthony used her position as a customer service representative for U.S. Airways at the Raleigh-Durham Airport to arrange for Derek Frank to fly between Buffalo, New York and Phoenix, Arizona using the birth certificate card in the name of a her stepson.

Derek Frank was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Arcara on June 1, 2012. Former Transportation Safety Administration employee Minnetta Walker was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States for assisting Derek Frank in bypassing airport security and was sentenced to two years in prison. Regina McCullen was convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with identification documents for illegally producing a birth certificate card used by Derek Frank and was sentenced to two years’ probation. Miguel Guzman was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana for conspiring with Derek Frank in his drug trafficking activities and was sentenced to three years’ probation.

The plea is a part of the ongoing investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; Transportation Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, under the direction of Federal Security Director, Derek DePietro; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of James C. Spero; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Wilbert L. Plummer, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division.