8 from Bronx’s Shiesty 66 gang indicted in $10 million bank fraud scheme

A unit of Bronx thoroughfare pack members were indicted successful a slope fraud strategy that netted much than $10 million, positive astir pilfered different $12.6 cardinal successful national COVID-19 alleviation funds, Bronx DA Darcel Clark announced Thursday.

“The defendants allegedly conspired to bargain millions of dollars, recruiting susceptible radical arsenic partners successful fraud,” Clark said. “At 1 point, they allegedly attempted to bargain $12.6 cardinal successful national COVID-19 alleviation funds. The defendants allegedly spent the wealth arsenic rapidly arsenic they stole it connected luxury items.”

The indictment charges 8 members of the Shiesty 66 pack variously with endeavor corruption, forgery, transgression possession of stolen spot and different charges related to check-washing and slope fraud schemes.

According to the investigation, which included the US Postal Inspection Service, the US Secret Service, NYPD and the Bronx DA’s office, the defendants exploited loopholes successful the banking strategy to perpetrate fraud passim the tri-state country and the West Coast.

A November 2021 shooting led constabulary to analyse members of the Bronx gang, whose online profiles showed they were engaging successful a alleged “card-cracking” scam, successful which the defendants utilized societal media to enlistee participants consenting to stock their debit paper and slope accusation with the fraudsters, Clark said.

The defendants past deposited phony checks into their partners’ slope accounts, earlier rapidly withdrawing currency from an ATM and sending kickbacks to the relationship holders, who would study their cards stolen.

One pack subordinate adjacent attempted to deposit a stolen US Treasury cheque worthy $12.6 cardinal intended for Mt. Sinai Medical Center for COVID relief.

The defendants spent their ill-gotten gains connected decorator duds from Gucci, Burberry, Cartier and Louis Vuitton, on with Audemars Piguet and Rolex watches, and trips to Paris, Miami and Kuwait, according to Daniel Brubaker, the caput of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service New York Division.

“The defendants…allegedly conspired to bargain checks from the message worthy millions of dollars,” Brubaker said. “These stolen funds were allegedly utilized to enactment the defendants’ lavish lifestyles. We volition utilize each assets astatine our disposal, question crossed the state to place victims, and leverage each concern to bring you to justice.”

In 2018, rapper Young Ash was busted for her relation successful a “card cracking” scam successful which she posted ads depicting wads of currency connected Snapchat to effort to enlistee participants.

The artist, whose existent sanction is Ashley Bautista, 22, of the Bronx, allegedly was portion of a six-person unit that stole the identities of tenants astatine a luxury high-rise analyzable connected the Upper West Side betwixt August and September successful bid to rake successful astatine slightest $50,000 successful stolen funds.