WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – A man will spend more than 5 years in prison for charges involving the theft of more than $100,000.

Yuhanna Muhammad McCallum was sentenced to a minimum of 5 years and 7 months and a maximum of 7 years and nine months.

McCallum pleaded guilty to identity theft and obtaining property over $100,000 by false pretense.

According to court documents, McCallum was the ringleader of a check scheme in late 2021 that cost two local credit unions more than $130,000 in just six months.

“McCallum induced more than a dozen individuals to assist in the scheme by instructing them to open accounts at Excite Credit Union and Corning Credit Union so that they could deposit thousands of dollars in bad checks,” a press release.

Officials said the fraud gained notoriety this year when TikTok users showed their audience how to engage in a similar scheme, presenting it as a bug.

McCallum reportedly spent the money on luxury items such as designer shoes, clothing, jewelry and travel. Detective M. Ake of the Wilmington Police Department was able to identify him on the ATM video, despite McCallum wearing a mask. Detective Ake also found text messages on McCallum’s phone that described the entire scheme and tried to implicate multiple people, including a minor.

“People often downplay financial crimes, but these scams are not victimless,” said Janelle Cline, a prosecutor with the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, who represented the state in the case. “Crimes like this affect the way our local banks do business, their bottom line and their charitable work, and can have a negative impact on the 99% of bank customers who do the right thing.”

McCallum was sentenced to the highest possible level of financial crime in North Carolina, a Class C felony. He was also convicted of identity theft in an unrelated scheme and ordered to pay restitution in that case. He had previously been convicted of a similar charge in New York.

“This plea gets a con man off the streets and away from his victims,” ​​said District Attorney Rebecca Donaldson. “It also sends a message to other scammers looking to come into our community that we will pursue these crimes to the fullest extent of the law and protect our community members and businesses from bad actors.”

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