A Connecticut man was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for a bank fraud conspiracy that included unauthorized withdrawals at Northwest Bank branches in Lockport and Williamsville, federal prosecutors said.
Vance Ashley, 57, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara after being convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York.
Prosecutors said Ashley was recruited by members of the conspiracy in January 2025 to pose as other people and make unauthorized withdrawals from their bank accounts. He agreed to participate in exchange for money.
Between Jan. 28 and Feb. 3, 2025, Ashley traveled with co-conspirators Edwin Robles, Edward Richardson and Michael Herrera to bank branches in Wilmington, Delaware; Liberty, New York; and Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.
At those branches, prosecutors said, Ashley used other people's identification to make or attempt unauthorized withdrawals from victims' accounts.
The group traveled Feb. 5, 2025, to a Northwest Bank branch in Lockport. Ashley made an unauthorized withdrawal from the account of a person who lived in Erie, Pennsylvania, and used money from the account to buy a bank check, prosecutors said.
The defendants then went to another Northwest Bank branch in Williamsville that same day. Prosecutors said Ashley again made an unauthorized withdrawal and purchased a bank check using money from an account belonging to a victim from North East, Pennsylvania.
The conspiracy caused or attempted to cause a total loss of $61,800, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Robles, Richardson and Herrera were previously convicted.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation, led locally by Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis, and Homeland Security Investigations, under Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone.
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