Victor Barriera Pleads Guilty in Credit Union Heist

ALBANY, NEW YORK – In a brazen scheme that netted over $148,000, Victor Barriera, a 63-year-old Bronx resident, has pleaded guilty to his role in a nationwide bank fraud conspiracy targeting credit unions across the country.

According to court documents, Barriera was part of a group that exploited a shared branching network used by credit unions, allowing them to withdraw funds from accounts at other member credit unions. The conspirators created fake identifications in the names of real customers, using photographs of other individuals, including Barriera, to conduct fraudulent transactions in exchange for drugs or a small portion of the stolen funds.

Barriera admitted to successfully withdrawing at least $148,352 and attempting to fraudulently obtain an additional $15,000 between December 2021 and April 2023. When he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on August 22, 2024, Barriera faces up to 30 years in prison, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years, and a fine of up to $1 million.

In addition to his prison sentence, Barriera will be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes in the amount of $148,352. He has also agreed to forfeit $10,000 in U.S. currency seized by Cohoes Police Department in May 2022 when he was arrested with codefendants David Daniyan and Gaysha Kennedy.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Albany Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in New York and Newark, and Resident Agencies in Westchester, New York; Garrett Mountain, New Jersey; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Additional assistance was provided by other law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement & Removal Operations (New York Field Office & Albany sub-office).

Barriera is not the only one facing charges in this case. Several other defendants, including Oluwaseun Adekoya, David Daniyan, Gaysha Kennedy, Danielle Cappetti, Lesley Lucchese, Jerjuan Joyner, and Akeem Balogun, still have charges pending in this case. They are accused of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and other related charges.

The bank fraud conspiracy charges carry a maximum term of 30 years’ incarceration, and each aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory term of 2 years, to be imposed consecutive to any prison term imposed on the bank fraud charge.