Henry Williams, Wire Fraud, New York 2024

Rochester Man Charged with Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft

A previously convicted fraudster has been charged with a new fraud scheme in Rochester, New York. Henry Williams, 54, of Rochester, has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The charges carry a minimum penalty of two years in prison, a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine. Williams is currently on supervised release following a 2016 conviction for bank fraud in the Western District of New York.

According to the complaint, Williams engaged in a new scheme to defraud his employer and others while working at the front desk of a Holiday Inn Hotel in Rochester. He used the hotel’s Point of Sale machine to load and attempt to load hundreds of thousands of dollars onto credit/debit cards that he controlled.

Williams impersonated various hotel managers while making phone calls to the hotel’s card payment processor in furtherance of his scheme. He also attempted to cover his tracks and conceal his involvement in the fraud by impersonating a hotel employee and making false complaints of criminal activity by another hotel employee.

In total, Williams attempted to defraud the hotel and hotel’s banks out of approximately $850,000. He also made fraudulent and unauthorized charges in the approximate amount of $780 by using information regarding a customer’s credit/debit card that he had stolen from the hotel.

Williams made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and is being detained. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation was conducted by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, acting under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and U.S. Probation Officers, acting under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Anthony SanGiacomo.

Henry Williams, 54, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a minimum penalty of two years in prison, a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine.

The defendant is currently on supervised release following a 2016 conviction for bank fraud in the Western District of New York. Williams attempted to defraud the hotel and hotel’s banks out of approximately $850,000.

Williams is being detained. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Probation Officers.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/previously-convicted-fraudster-charged-new-fraud-scheme