Bank Fraud Scandal Rocks Niagara Falls, NY
A Canadian national has been charged with bank fraud in a case that has left authorities reeling. Panagiota Loukisas, 56, of North York, Ontario, Canada, was returned from Poland and arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy in Buffalo, NY.
According to the indictment, Loukisas opened bank accounts at five banks in Niagara Falls, NY in November 2014. She deposited checks drawn on a Canadian bank account held by her company, PM Global Consulting Services, into these five accounts.
Loukisas then withdrew significant sums of money from the Niagara Falls bank accounts before the checks were returned to the banks for insufficient funds. The defendant is accused of fraudulently depositing non-sufficient fund checks valued at more than $83,000 and withdrawing more than $52,000 from the accounts before the scheme was discovered.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The defendant was arraigned and is being held pending a detention hearing on August 7, 2017.
The investigation was led by Special Agents of the Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.
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.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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