Ishmael Benreuben, Check Fraud, New York 2023

MOUNT VERNON, NY – Ishmael Benreuben, 26, of Mount Vernon, admitted today to masterminding a brazen check fraud scheme that siphoned approximately $760,000 from banks across New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. The operation involved stolen mail, forged checks, and a network of 26 co-conspirators used to launder the stolen funds.

According to federal prosecutors, Benreuben and his crew snatched checks directly from the U.S. mail, then meticulously forged signatures and altered amounts – ranging from $5,000 to $42,000 – before depositing them into accounts held by his accomplices. They moved quickly, draining roughly $115,000 from the accounts before banks could detect the fraud and freeze the funds. The scheme ran from September 2021 through March 2022, leaving a trail of compromised businesses and individuals in its wake.

“My Office is committed to protecting the integrity of the United States banking system and the United States mail,” stated U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “The defendant engaged in a scheme to steal three quarters of a million dollars by stealing real checks from the mail, forging the checks, falsifying identities, and taking advantage of multiple financial institutions. This defendant’s fraudulent scheme affected real people and their businesses. Today, he has been held accountable for his brazen conduct.”

The U.S. Secret Service, leading the investigation alongside the NYPD, discovered Benreuben hiding under a couch at a co-conspirator’s residence when he was apprehended. Agents also found him in possession of a trove of stolen personal identification information – including images of driver’s licenses, debit cards, and Social Security cards – indicating a sophisticated operation geared towards ongoing identity theft. Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Freaney warned that this guilty plea should “serve as a strong deterrent for criminal actors considering taking part in similar fraud schemes.”

NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban emphasized the real-world impact of such crimes, stating, “These offenses harm the people whose mail is stolen and the public at large.” He affirmed the NYPD’s continued collaboration with federal partners to ensure accountability for those who compromise the mail system and commit financial fraud.

Ishmael Benreuben pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years. He also admitted to one count of bank fraud, also punishable by up to 30 years, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive two-year prison term. Sentencing is pending before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff. The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

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