Former Army Recruiter Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Scheme Targeting Recruits

Federal Prosecutors Say Ex-Sergeant First Class Used Personal Data of Army Applicants to Open Fraudulent Accounts and Seek More Than $266,000 in Loans

NEWARK, N.J. | A former U.S. Army recruiter has pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a scheme that exploited the personal information of Army recruits and recruiting candidates to commit bank fraud and identity theft, raising new concerns about the safeguarding of sensitive applicant data within military recruiting operations.

Jane Crosby, 35, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in federal court before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.

Federal prosecutors said Crosby, a former Sergeant First Class and Army recruiter, used her access to recruits' personally identifiable information (PII) to fraudulently open financial accounts and seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit and loan approvals without the knowledge or consent of the victims.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Crosby submitted multiple "Pre-Active Duty Membership" applications to a credit union between September and December 2023. The accounts are designed to help future service members establish banking relationships and receive military pay via direct deposit upon entering active duty.