Edward Williams, Check Fraud and Identity Theft, Connecticut 2024

Edward Williams, 58, of Hartford, is headed to federal prison for 54 months after masterminding a brazen check fraud and identity theft scheme that ripped off victims across Connecticut. U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden handed down the sentence in Bridgeport, slamming Williams for a calculated crime spree that exploited stolen mail, blank checks, and even the identities of innocent people to cash in more than $27,000 in fraudulent checks.

Between August 2016 and June 2017, Williams and his co-conspirators stole checks from mailboxes and private deliveries, then altered or filled them out to siphon cash. One victim in Windsor mailed a $985.30 check to American Express—only to find it had been changed and cashed by Williams. Even worse, Williams used someone else’s identity to cash that check, leading to the wrongful arrest of an innocent man by local police.

The fraud didn’t stop there. A West Hartford couple left a holiday card with a $15 check for their newspaper delivery person—Williams altered it and walked away with $870. Another West Hartford resident discovered a box of newly ordered checks had been stolen after Williams tried to cash one for $400. At a local business, Williams lifted personal checks from a checkbook and deposited four of them—totaling over $5,000—into a bank account he’d opened under false pretenses.

In just 11 months, Williams and his network successfully cashed $27,311.35 in stolen checks. They tried to push $40,861.65 more through banks before being caught. His operation relied on access, speed, and the anonymity of forged IDs and stolen identities—tools he’d used for decades. Williams has 74 prior arrests and a rap sheet packed with convictions for forgery, larceny, and burglary.

Arrested on October 18, 2017, Williams has been behind bars ever since. He pleaded guilty on November 5, 2018, to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarala V. Nagala and Elena L. Coronado, pushed for stiff penalties, citing his long criminal history and the harm inflicted on victims who trusted the mail and their neighborhoods to be safe.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, with crucial help from the South Windsor and East Hartford Police Departments. Williams now faces 54 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release—time that won’t bring back the peace of mind stolen from his victims.

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