ALBANY, N.Y. –Two more people have entered guilty pleas in a fraud scheme that targeted credit union shared branches all over the country.
Lesley Lucchese, 54, and Danielle Cappetti, 45, both of New York City, both pled guilty in connection with their roles in a bank fraud conspiracy that targeted CUs nationally since at least December 2021, according to the United State’s Attorney’s Office.
As part of their pleas, Lucchese and Cappetti each admitted that between at least December 2021 and April 2023, they fraudulently withdrew funds from credit unions while acting as runners for a nationwide bank fraud conspiracy that targeted credit unions insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund,” the U.S. Attorney said.
How Scheme Worked
“Many of the credit unions were members of a shared branching network, which allowed customers of member credit unions to withdraw funds from their accounts at other member credit unions by presenting an identification with their photograph, their account number, and the last four digits of their Social Security number…The conspirators exploited this network by creating fake identifications in the names of real credit union customers, but with photographs of other individuals, including Lucchese and Cappetti, who conducted fraudulent transactions at shared branch member credit unions all over the country in exchange for drugs or a small portion of the stolen funds.”
In total, the U.S. Attorney said Lucchese and Cappetti fraudulently obtained nearly $500,000 from credit unions, the “vast majority of which went to supervisors in the conspiracy.”
Please & Sentencing
Lucchese pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and Cappetti pled guilty to the same offense on August 5, 2024. Cappetti, who is from the Bronx, is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5, 2024. Lucchese, of Manhattan, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2024.
Both defendants face up to 30 years in prison, a term of supervised release of up to five years, and a fine of up to $1 million, the U.S. Attorney said, adding both defendants will be ordered to pay restitution to victims of their offenses, and Lucchese agreed to forfeit $9,512.67 in U.S. currency seized by the Escambia County and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Offices in Florida in October 2022 when Lucchese was arrested with co-defendants David Daniyan and Akeem Balogun after traveling there to conduct fraudulent withdrawals.
Five Guilty Please to Date
The U.S. Attorney added the pleas of Lucchese and Cappetti resolve the charges against them in a federal indictment returned last December, allegedly involves more than $1 million in total losses. Five defendants have now pled guilty in connection with the indictment.