29-year-old Jelila Adekunie was arrested at a Regions Bank branch in Nashville on April 8th, charged with felony criminal simulation, and impersonation, after she tried to withdraw cash using a fake identity. Police located her Nigerian passport with her real name in the vehicle when her accomplice was also arrested.
Police say the woman entered the Regions Bank at 831 Murfreesboro Pike and attempted to withdraw cash from a teller, using a counterfeit North Carolina driver’s license, and an accompanying false name. Bank employees became suspicious and contacted Metro Police. Detectives from the fraud unit responded and detained the suspect, to ascertain her identity. She presented the same counterfeit North Carolina driver’s license to detectives, and the same false name.
During the investigation it was determined another person was with her at the bank. He was also detained to determine his identity. A search of his person yielded two counterfeit driver’s licenses, and a valid Illinois ID. He was identified as Taiwo Lawson. A search of his vehicle, incident to arrest, resulted in the discovery of the detained female’s actual valid Nigerian passport, which established her true identity of Jelila Adekunie.
Both subjects are persons of interested in numerous incidents of bank fraud across the city, and further charges are expected. Lawson was charged with felony criminal simulation, Adekunie was charged with criminal impersonation, and felony criminal simulation. Both were freed on pre-trial release to their Elmwood Park, Chicago, IL, address.
