Financial Crime World

Title: “Georgia Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud Conspiracy and Identity Theft in Multi-state Scheme”

Georgia Man, Lester Aceituno, Sentenced for Bank Fraud Conspiracy and Identity Theft

On Thursday, a Georgia man, Lester Aceituno, 40, was sentenced in Federal Court in Concord, New Hampshire, for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy and identity theft scheme that spanned across multiple states.

Charges and Conviction

  • Aceituno was sentenced by Chief District Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 30 months in federal prison.
  • He was convicted by a jury on November 3, 2023, following a five-day trial.
  • Two of his co-conspirators, Kizito Chukwujekwu and Chinedu Ihejiere, were also indicted on August 24, 2020.
    • Chukwujekwu pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison on November 23, 2021.
    • Ihejiere is still awaiting trial.

Quotes

“This defendant, along with his co-conspirators, brazenly stole and used other people’s identities to commit their scheme.” – U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young

“Lester Aceituno believed he could make easy money through identity theft, but what he didn’t account for was the FBI and our partners.” – FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen

“The burden of identity theft for victims is financially devastating and creates significant inconveniences. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will aggressively investigate individuals, like Lester Aceituno, who steal identities and cash out on the scheme.” – Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Crime Details

  • Between June 2016 and October 2017, Aceituno and his co-conspirators used stolen identities to open bank accounts in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Georgia.
  • Aceituno received the debit cards and pin numbers at post office boxes in Massachusetts and Georgia.
  • They deposited fraudulent checks worth over $119,000 into these accounts.
  • Once the money was credited, but before the banks discovered the checks were false, one of Aceituno’s co-conspirators withdrew the money and handed it over to the leader of the scheme.

Investigation

  • The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation.
  • Assistance was provided by the Brockton Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
  • The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.