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Harlingen man accused of stealing missionary's identity
Posted: 02.25.2012 at 9:13 AM
Updated: 02.25.2012 at 9:55 AM
Brianna Vela

Brianna is KGBT's digital content producer.

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A Harlingen man is facing federal charges following allegations of bank fraud.
 
Court document reveal, Curtis Sparks is accused of opening 24 separate USAA Federal Savings Bank checking and savings accounts under 19 separate false identities.
 
The court also states $91,000 in ATM withdrawals associated with these accounts occurred between August and November 2011.
 
USAA provided documentation concerning fraudulent transactions pertaining to two accounts under the name "Samuel Horwood".

Federal authorities said not only were these accounts queried via cell phone belonging to Curtis Sparks, but ATM cards were shipped to a Harlingen apartment complex where Spark's Chevy has been under surveillance.
 
Credit card advances and additional deposits totaling $23,700 were drawn on mulitple credit cards not belonging to Horwood or Sparks.

These transactions were mainly ATM withdrawals from International Bank of Commerces in Harlingen.

In January, the special agent from the United States Secret Service acquired information from USAA for a “Samuel Horwood” that lead to a California phone number and address.
 
In speaking with Horwood’s father, the special agent was told that Samuel was in Angola serving as a missionary.
 
The father said his son only uses that address to write back and forth with one another.
 
A request for a warrant has been issued for Sparks, but no arrests have been made.

Each suspected account has been closed.

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