(WNY News Now) A Georgia man has entered a guilty plea to masterminding a multi-state bank fraud scheme that cost companies tens of thousands of dollars through false transactions and stolen checks.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Quentavious Price, 38, of Hampton, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to conduct bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross. In addition to a fine of up to $1,000,000, the charges entail a required minimum sentence of two years in jail and a maximum sentence of thirty years.
Price and his accomplices, Lorenzo Jones, Ameer Clark, and Montez White, flew from Atlanta to western New York between January and September 2022 in order to commit financial institution fraud. The gang made fake copies of checks written on the victims’ accounts after stealing real checks from companies. They then enlisted people to pose as laborers or construction workers and drove them to banks to cash the fake checks.
Three such occurrences were described by the prosecutors:
- January 2022: Price and his accomplices flew from Atlanta to Buffalo, where they attempted to cash fraudulent checks at multiple KeyBank branches using stolen accounts from businesses in Elma and Tonawanda, NY.
- March 2022: The group targeted M&T Bank, Bank on Buffalo, and Evans Bank branches, using accounts from businesses based in Tonawanda, Clarence, and Sanborn, NY.
- September 2022: The scheme expanded to Rochester, where Price and three others drove six individuals to banks including Northwest Bank and KeyBank, exploiting accounts from businesses in Rochester and Alden, NY.
Price also committed a criminal by using one business owner’s identity. A total of $64,979.67 was determined to be the real and planned loss.
The New York State Police and Homeland Security Investigations carried out the inquiry. Charges against co-conspirators Jones, Clark, and White are still pending.
The date of Price’s sentence has not yet been set.