A Texas man was indicted Wednesday on fraud, money laundering, and identity theft charges in connection with a scheme to steal more than $545,000 from the retirement account of a dead Huntsville man, federal authorities announced.

Dwayne Ellis Baptiste, 43, was charged in a 10-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Birmingham with four counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, four counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to a joint statement from U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton.

Baptiste lived in Huntsville in 2011 and was acquainted with Ralph Swinehart, who along with his father, Ronald Swinehart, also lived in Huntsville, according to the indictment and statement. Ronald Swinehart was a retired employee of Lockheed Martin Corporation and had a retirement savings account through the company. The retirement account was held at ING Institutional Plan Services, according to the statement.

In September 2011, Ronald Swinehart signed and executed a durable power of attorney naming his son Ralph Swinehart as his agent. Ronald Swinehart died on Oct. 11, 2011. His son died on Oct. 23, 2011, according to the statement.

Baptiste filed a fraudulent power of attorney in Madison County Probate Court in October appointing himself as Ronald Swinehart's agent, according to the indictment. In December 2011, Baptiste opened two commercial accounts, which he controlled, in the name of Swinehart Investment Solutions at BBVA Compass Bank. Baptiste also changed the beneficiary designation on Ronald Swinehart's retirement account from Ralph Swinehart to himself, according to the indictment.

Baptiste then changed the bank account information on Ronald Swinehart's retirement account, directing any distributions to be made to one of the BBVA accounts.

Baptiste committed four counts of wire fraud when he directed four transfers, totaling $545,669, from the retirement account to a BBVA account, the indictment charges, according to the statement.

Baptiste committed aggravated identity theft when he used Ronald Swinehart's name, Social Security number and address, to conduct the wire fraud, according to the indictment.

Baptiste committed mail fraud when, on Dec. 9, 2011, he mailed to ING a package containing a fraudulent "spousal consent form," required for making withdrawals from the ING retirement account, the indictment charges. The form purported to bear Ronald Swinehart's signature and noted that his wife, Rosalie Swinehart, was deceased.

According to the indictment, Baptiste laundered money as follows:

On Dec. 28, 2011, he withdrew $496,085 from the BBVA account he had directed the retirement funds into, then deposited $375,000 into a new account he opened at BBVA in the name of Baptiste Inc. On Jan. 27, 2012, Baptiste drew a $225,000 check to "cash" on the new BBVA account, and three days later opened a "Baptiste Inc." account at Regions Bank and deposited into it a $225,000 BBVA cashier's check.

On Feb. 7, 2012, according to the indictment, Baptiste withdrew $225,000 from the Regions account.

The FBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney's Manu Balachandran and John B. Ward are prosecuting.