GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: Federal agents have cracked a major check fraud ring operating in Connecticut. The trio of Michelle Freeman, Leshanda Long, and Omar Eaddy are alleged to have masterminded a scheme that preyed on local small businesses.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, Freeman, also known as ‘Thunder,’ 37, from Waterbury; Long, 43, of Hamden; and Eaddy, 40, of Bridgeport, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Bridgeport. They are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which could carry a sentence of up to 30 years.
The trio is accused of stealing checks from mailboxes and altering them to be cashed by ‘check runners.’ Freeman, the alleged ringleader, counterfeited the checks while Long and Eaddy were responsible for enlisting the runners. The scheme targeted small business accounts across Connecticut.
Arrests were made in May 2025, and the trio was released on $100,000 bond pending arraignment later this month. U.S. Attorney Sullivan reminded readers that an indictment is not proof of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Connecticut Organized Financial Fraud Task Force, which includes local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Boyles will be handling the prosecution.
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Related Federal Cases
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- Waterbury Store Worker Guilty of $3.2M Food Stamp Fraud · Connecticut
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- Waterbury Grocery Worker Admits SNAP Fraud Scheme · New York
- West Haven Woman Gets 6 Years for Deadly Drug Ring · Mississippi
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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