Dallas Man From Tanzania Sentenced to Federal Prison for $2.3 Million Credit Union Fraud Scheme

DALLAS - A 49-year-old Dallas-area man has been sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and ordered to repay more than $2.3 million for a bank fraud scheme involving a former credit union CEO.

Athuman Farid Omar pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade sentenced him Sept. 23 to 40 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $2,332,491.91 in restitution.

According to federal court records, Omar used his longtime relationship with Jonathan Salcedo, the former CEO of a Dallas-based credit union and a co-conspirator in the case, to carry out the scheme.

Prosecutors said Omar opened several business accounts at the credit union and deposited checks drawn from an account he maintained at another bank despite knowing there was not enough money to cover them.

The scheme continued for about 18 months and resulted in more than $2.3 million in losses, according to prosecutors.

In December 2022, Omar attempted to deposit 56 checks totaling $1,160,780 into a credit union account over a period of just two days. Prosecutors said the checks were drawn from his account at another bank even though he knew it lacked sufficient funds.

That activity brought the scheme to an end.

Salcedo has also pleaded guilty in connection with the fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced later this year.

Federal prosecutors said Omar is a Tanzanian citizen who has lived in the Dallas area for decades without legal status in the United States. He is expected to be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after completing his federal prison sentence.

The FBI's Dallas Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Koos prosecuted it.