Carlos Aquino Sosa, Bank Fraud, Indiana 2025

Three Honduran nationals have been sentenced to prison for their roles in an expansive bank fraud conspiracy that resulted in significant losses to small businesses and community banks in more than a dozen states, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana.

Carlos Aquino Sosa, 26 years old, of Honduras, was sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was also ordered to pay $533,043 in restitution.

Edwin Palacios Sosa, 27 years old, of Honduras, was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of illegal re-entry. He was also ordered to pay $533,043 in restitution.

Delvin Velasquez Romero, 33 years old, of Honduras, received a time-served sentence dating back to July 8, 2024 (approximately 17 months in custody) followed by 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of illegal re-entry. He was also ordered to pay $233,569 in restitution.

The defendants, who have no legal status within the United States, will each be subject to a separate and immediate removal process upon release from prison.

The conspiracy began on January 11, 2023, when Aquino Sosa, Palacios Sosa, Velasquez Romero, and their co-conspirators used fake identification cards to cash 169 fraudulent paychecks totaling $233,569 at three branches of the same bank in the Northern District of Indiana. The fraudulent paychecks were designed to look like they had been issued by a company that operates dairy farms in the Northern District of Indiana.

Almost six months later, on June 23, 2023, Aquino Sosa, Palacios Sosa, Velasquez Romero, and their co-conspirators used fake identification cards to cash 178 fraudulent paychecks totaling $299,474 at five branches of the same bank and three check cashing businesses in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The fraudulent paychecks were designed to look like they had been issued by a building materials supply company in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Aquino Sosa, Palacios Sosa, and Velasquez Romero participated in a far-reaching conspiracy that caused major financial harm to small businesses and community banks across the United States. Due to the unwavering efforts and collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement in multiple jurisdictions, these defendants were brought to justice for their respective roles in this scheme.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/pr/three-honduran-nationals-sentenced-prison-their-roles-bank-fraud-conspiracy