Four defendants have been charged in connection with a massive check fraud scheme that netted approximately $53 million.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Micheal Pena, Harington Delahoz, Joshua Gutierrez, and Jaysen Dorsey carried out the scheme from April 2023 to October 2024.
As alleged, the defendants obtained real checks, forged the checks, falsified identities, sold the checks to others, and took advantage of multiple financial institutions.
The defendants also posted images of stolen checks and personal identifiable information on a messaging platform called ‘White House Vibez,’ which had thousands of subscribers.
Pena operated and used the channel to sell stolen checks, while Delahoz and Gutierrez set up mobile payment accounts using false identification.
The defendants deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen checks at various financial institutions, often ‘washing’ the checks by altering the payee’s information and amount before depositing them.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton called the scheme ‘massive’ and said it affected real people and the millions of Americans who rely on the U.S. banking system and the U.S. mail.
USPIS Acting Inspector in Charge Edward Gallashaw warned that Postal Inspectors will ‘put an end to your criminal enterprise’ and bring perpetrators to justice.
Pena and Gutierrez were arrested this morning, while Delahoz and Dorsey remain at large.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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