(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Georgia man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a multi-state fraud scheme that targeted financial institutions in Western New York.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that Lorenzo Jones, 38, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The sentence was handed down by Lawrence J. Vilardo in Buffalo, New York.
According to prosecutors, Jones participated in a scheme that operated between January and September 2022, involving multiple co-conspirators who traveled from Atlanta, Georgia to Western District of New York to commit fraud.
Investigators said the group stole legitimate checks from businesses and used them to create fraudulent checks drawn from those companies’ bank accounts. The conspirators then recruited individuals to cash the fraudulent checks at banks throughout the region.
Participants were reportedly provided with clothing—such as work attire—to make them appear to be construction workers or laborers before being driven to bank branches to cash the checks. If successful, those recruited individuals received a small payment.
Federal prosecutors detailed several trips tied to the scheme:
- January 2022: Jones, co-conspirator Quentavious Price, and others flew from Atlanta to Buffalo and drove an individual to several KeyBank branches. The individual attempted to cash fraudulent checks drawn on accounts belonging to businesses based in Elma, New York and Tonawanda, New York.
- March 2022: Price and others returned to Buffalo and drove three individuals to branches of M&T Bank, Bank on Buffalo, and Evans Bank. The recruits attempted to cash fraudulent checks drawn on business accounts based in Tonawanda, New York, Clarence, New York, and Sanborn, New York.
- September 2022: Jones and co-conspirators Ameer Clark, Price, and Montez White flew to Rochester, New York. They drove six individuals to branches of M&T Bank, KeyBank, Northwest Bank, Bank on Buffalo, and Evans Bank to cash or attempt to cash fraudulent checks tied to businesses in Rochester and Alden, New York.
Authorities said the total loss and intended loss from the scheme was $64,979.67.
Federal prosecutors noted that Jones’ co-conspirators—Clark, Price, and White—have already been convicted for their roles in the conspiracy.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, along with the New York State Police, led by Major Amie P. Feroleto.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Bonanno and Sasha Mascarenhas prosecuted the case.
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