TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – A New York man will spend nearly five years behind bars for running a fraud operation that targeted victims’ bank accounts across three states, including Arizona.
Richard Modou Bah, 22, of Bronx, New York, received a 58-month prison sentence on July 28, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Arizona. He will also face four years of supervised release after admitting to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to officials, Bah and his associates ran a scheme targeting victims and financial institutions in Arizona, Colorado and California. The group stole personal information from victims and created fake identification documents to open fraudulent business accounts connected to the victims’ real bank accounts.
The conspirators then moved money from legitimate accounts into the fake business accounts before withdrawing cash at banks and casinos, officials said.
Bah recruited others to pose as victims using the stolen identities, providing them with counterfeit identification cards to carry out the fraud. He also oversaw at least one associate during account openings and cash withdrawals at financial institutions and casinos.