BOSTON – A Quincy man’s brazen attempt to swindle the system has landed him a two-year stint in the clink. Hui Zhang, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, with the first year to be served on home confinement.
Zhang was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $1,035,350. In March 2024, Zhang pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, a charge that could have landed him in a whole lot of trouble.
From June 2020 to at least May 2022, Zhang opened fraudulent bank accounts under false identities into which he electronically deposited approximately 114 counterfeit checks – totaling more than $1 million. The counterfeit checks were drawn on the account of a Boston-based retailer. Zhang subsequently withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from these accounts via ATMs.
This isn’t the first time Zhang’s been in hot water. In 2017, Zhang was convicted of forgery of a check and other offenses and was sentenced to probation. In 2018, after being found in possession of various forged credit cards and fraudulent identity cards, Zhang was convicted of identity fraud and sentenced to two years in prison.
Zhang’s most recent scheme may seem like a work of genius, but it ultimately landed him in federal court. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
As Zhang begins his sentence, the people of Quincy can rest a little easier knowing that a dangerous individual is off the streets. Zhang’s crimes are a stark reminder that identity theft and bank fraud are serious offenses with serious consequences.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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