Terrance Richardson, Bank Employees Charged in $165K Check Fraud

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Eleven people, including three bank employees, are facing federal charges in two separate counterfeit check schemes that bled local banks of nearly $235,000. The superseding indictments, unsealed in federal court, expose an underground network of fraud where stolen account data and insider access were used to deposit fake checks and pull out cash before banks caught on.

At the center of the first scheme is Terrance Richardson, 30, of Providence, accused of stealing checks and bank information from individuals, small businesses, an insurance company, and an attorney’s office. Using that data, Richardson allegedly created counterfeit checks and enlisted Machaela Farias, 26, of Providence — a Santander Bank employee — to help deposit them. The scheme ran for about a year starting in April 2020.

The indictment alleges Richardson and Farias worked with Johanna Arias, 33, of Providence, and Jordan Robertson, 24, of Providence, to deposit at least $165,154 in fake checks. They recruited people to let the funds be deposited into their accounts, then quickly withdrew $89,453 in cash. Debit card details were obtained from those paid to participate, accelerating the cash-out operation.

Richardson, Farias, Arias, and Robertson are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and 14 counts of bank fraud. Richardson also faces a charge of aggravated identity theft. Investigators say the speed and coordination suggest a well-organized ring exploiting gaps in banking oversight.

In a separate but equally brazen scheme, Richard Koboi, 26, of Providence, along with Maximillan Mwah, 38, and Godgift Rosler, 33, both of Pawtucket, allegedly stole checks and account data from businesses and individuals. Savonnah Briggs, 26, of Providence, a Citizens Bank employee, and Isha-Lee Savage, 23, of Providence, working at Santander Bank, allegedly provided internal access to the data. The group created and deposited nearly $70,000 in counterfeit checks into accounts of individuals paid to cooperate.

Defendants Junior Richards, 24, of Pawtucket, Darren Maenza, 27, of Pawtucket, and others allegedly made rapid withdrawals, cash transfers, and debit card purchases. All are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Richards, Maenza, and Rosler face 12 counts of bank fraud; Koboi faces 12 counts of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The second scheme operated for 14 months beginning January 2020. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin, investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with FBI support in several arrests. An indictment is not a conviction — all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.