A Bronx man was sentenced to 42 months in prison for his role in an interstate bank fraud conspiracy that used stolen identities to withdraw money from victims' accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York.
The scheme involved $91,300 in actual and intended losses and included transactions at bank branches in Lockport and Williamsville, prosecutors said.
Edward Richardson, 33, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft and sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced.
In January 2025, Richardson, Edwin Robles and Michael Herrera helped recruit Vance Ashley in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to impersonate bank customers and make unauthorized withdrawals in exchange for money, according to the prosecutors' account.
Between Jan. 28 and Feb. 3, 2025, Ashley traveled with the three men to branches in Wilmington, Delaware; Liberty, New York; and Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, where he used other people's identification to make or attempt unauthorized withdrawals.
On Feb. 5, the group traveled to a Northwest Bank branch in Lockport, where Ashley withdrew money and purchased a bank check using an Erie, Pennsylvania, resident's account, prosecutors said.
The group then traveled to another Northwest Bank branch in Williamsville, where Ashley again withdrew money and purchased a bank check using funds belonging to a victim from North East, Pennsylvania.
Richardson also illegally used another person's identification during a felony on Feb. 5, according to the release.
Herrera, Robles and Ashley had previously been convicted and sentenced, making Richardson the final defendant sentenced in the conspiracy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno prosecuted the case following an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations.
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