Mount Vernon man pleads guilty to elaborate check fraud scheme
Ishmael Benreuben has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
A 26-year-old man from Mount Vernon has entered a guilty plea for his involvement in an extensive check fraud operation that spanned from November 2021 to March of the following year, according to federal court documents.
Ishmael Benreuben and accomplices pilfered checks from the mail, subsequently altering and forging them. The illicitly obtained checks were then deposited into bank accounts located across New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. In a rapid succession, funds were withdrawn before the banks could nullify the transactions.
Authorities revealed that the scheme led to the deposit of approximately $760,000 in fraudulent checks, of which around $115,000 was withdrawn prior to the accounts being terminated. Benreuben was apprehended while hiding under a couch at a co-conspirator's residence, where law enforcement discovered multiple images of others' personal identification.
He has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10.
