Bah Busted: Passport Fraud Lands NY Man 4 ½ Years

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Thierno O. Bah, 30, of New York, New York, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 54 months for a brazen scheme involving stolen identities and fake passports. U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance handed down the sentence on December 1, 2021, following a federal investigation into Bah’s multi-state fraud operation.

The bust originated in Metairie, Louisiana, where Bah and his accomplice, Manuela Gonzalez-Bookman, attempted to cash a stolen check at a Capital One branch on February 18, 2020. Gonzalez-Bookman presented a fraudulent passport while Bah waited in a rental car. Alert bank employees flagged the suspicious activity, leading to their arrest by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s deputies. It wasn’t an isolated incident. Investigators soon uncovered a pattern of similar schemes executed at multiple banks, stretching back to a prior trip to New Orleans on January 31, 2020, where they attempted at least seven fraudulent transactions, including a failed attempt to siphon $18,600.00 from one victim’s account.

The evidence against Bah didn’t stop at the Louisiana incidents. A search warrant executed on Bah’s phone revealed a treasure trove of stolen credit card numbers and personal identifying information. Agents discovered a handwritten note containing a victim’s name, address, social security number, date of birth, bank account balance, and recent transaction details – a roadmap for identity theft. This digital evidence solidified the case and allowed authorities to link Bah to further fraudulent activity.

But the fraud didn’t begin in Louisiana. Bah was already facing charges in New York. NYPD officers pulled him over on July 31, 2019, and discovered he was using a fake ID. A search of his vehicle revealed 29 credit cards, three driver’s licenses, and a card skimming device. The Bronx District Attorney’s Office subsequently indicted Bah on a slew of charges, including 30 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, one count of criminal possession of forgery devices, and unlawful possession of a skimmer.

Judge Vance sentenced Bah to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release on the passport fraud conspiracy charge. An additional, mandatory consecutive sentence of 24 months was imposed for aggravated identity theft, along with another year of supervised release and a $100 special assessment fee per count. The judge ordered Bah to pay restitution totaling $32,614.13, waiving any additional fines due to the restitution obligation.

The investigation was a collaborative effort, led by the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service and Homeland Security Investigations, with crucial assistance from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, and the New York Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Payne, K. Paige O’Hale, and J. Ryan McLaren prosecuted the case. This conviction sends a clear message: exploiting stolen identities and attempting to defraud financial institutions will be met with swift and severe consequences.