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New York resident Mavani Coleman of Brooklyn, age 44, pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court on Wednesday, Feb. 14 to one count of bank fraud, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.
According to federal officials, the scheme began in 2018, when Coleman's accomplice, New Haven resident Gregory Ivy, began working odd jobs for a retired woman in Connecticut. In October 2018, Ivy began selling checks from her checkbook while in her home and wrote them payable to himself, forging the victim's signature and depositing them in his personal credit union account.
Ivy would then give stolen blank checks on which he had forged the woman's signature to Coleman, who would fill in the name of the payee and the amount to be paid.
As part of the scheme, the duo initially agreed that they would arrange to deposit the checks into other people's bank accounts and that Ivy would receive half of the proceeds. Coleman would then work with others to cash or deposit the stolen checks and then give Ivy between $500 to $800 in kickbacks, officials said.
Coleman would also use the victim's routing and bank account numbers to arrange electronic fund transfers to make payments for himself, his business, his family members, and other friends. Additionally, Coleman would work with other people to cash or deposit stolen checks with the victim's forged signature, and these participants would also arrange electronic fund transfers from the victim's bank account to other individuals as well.
In total, Coleman, Ivy, and other participants in the scheme tried to steal a total of $624,818.28 from the victim's bank account. However, because her account became overdrawn, some check deposits or fund transfers were reversed, causing the victim to lose a total of $479,569.08, federal officials said.
Coleman personally stole a total of $33,869 from the victim during the scheme, and his family members and associates were responsible for stealing $248,423.09 from the account.
Coleman was eventually arrested on a federal criminal complaint on April 6, 2023. When he is sentenced, he faces up to 30 years in prison. He is now released on a $50,000 bond until his sentencing, which is not yet scheduled.
Ivy previously pleaded guilty and is also awaiting sentencing.
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