Clemente Castracucco, Bank Fraud, Utah 2023

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Clemente Castracucco, a 61-year-old man from the Bronx, New York, was arrested and charged with a $47,000 bank scheme involving six Utah bank locations and victims, according to a federal indictment.

The indictment alleges that Castracucco planned and executed a scheme to defraud Bank of Utah, First Utah Bank, First Community Bank, and Zions Bank between November 9, 2022, and December 16, 2022. The scheme involved depositing counterfeit checks into accounts at the victims' banks, then withdrawing funds from the bank accounts using account information and identification that was not Castracucco's.

On one occasion, Castracucco entered a First Utah Bank branch in Salt Lake City and deposited a $4,500 fraudulent check, which was drawn on the account of two individuals and made payable to a Utah business. He then withdrew $7,500 from the First Utah Bank account and presented a fraudulent United States passport card purporting to be a signer on the business account and forged the signature on the check. The signer, a Utah resident, was unaware of the transaction and did not authorize it.

Castracucco is charged with six counts of bank fraud and six counts of aggravated identity fraud. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 23, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The case is being investigated jointly by the United States Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and numerous local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Jamie Z. Thomas, of the District of Utah, prosecuted the case.

The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. Attorney's Office to protecting the integrity of the financial system and holding individuals accountable for their crimes.

Castracucco's arrest and indictment serve as a reminder to the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities. The public's cooperation is crucial in preventing and investigating financial crimes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/new-york-alleged-fraudster-arrested-and-charged-47000-bank-scheme-involving-six-utah