MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Orion Federal Credit Union is recovering from losses tied to an elaborate fake-check scheme allegedly orchestrated by repeat fraud offender Randall Meridith, 34.
Authorities charged Meridith with felony property theft and felony forgery, each involving amounts between $60,000 and $250,000. The case began in August 2023 when an Orion fraud investigator alerted Memphis police after a woman deposited a $220,564.53 U.S. Treasury check later deemed “altered/fictitious.”
According to court documents, two days after depositing the check, the woman returned to Orion branches and withdrew $219,150 through cashier’s checks, cash withdrawals, and Cash App transfers. Orion stopped three of the four $50,000 cashier’s checks, but still sustained losses exceeding $68,000.
Investigators used surveillance footage to identify the woman, who told police that Meridith—connected to her through a family member—supplied the fraudulent check, instructed her on the transactions, and accompanied her to the credit union during part of the scheme.
Meridith is currently held at Shelby County Jail on a $110,000 bond. Authorities note that he has a lengthy history of fraud-related convictions, including a 2016 identity theft conviction that resulted in a two-year prison sentence.
