Darein Clark, Fraud Conspiracy, Pennsylvania 2017

A Philadelphia man has been convicted of defrauding Pittsburgh-area banks through a complex scheme involving counterfeit checks.

Darein Clark, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud conspiracy in federal court, according to Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song.

According to the indictment, Clark and others agreed to defraud Pittsburgh-area banks by depositing counterfeit checks by remote mobile deposit, and then making a series of withdrawals against funds credited from the deposited checks.

The scheme led to a series of financial losses for the affected banks, with the potential for thousands of dollars in damages.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Court documents revealed that the defendant could face a maximum sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.

Judge David S. Cercone scheduled the sentencing for October 6, 2017.

The Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force (WPFCTF) conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of this defendant.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/philadelphia-man-pleads-guilty-defrauding-pittsburgh-area-banks