Published March 29, 2022

Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Faces Up to 7 Years

Louisiana – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Ronald S. Riley, Jr., (“Riley”), age 26, of Slidell, Louisiana plead guilty on March 28 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charged in a bill of information filed February 7, 2022, in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Riley was involved in stealing mail from postal receptacles in the Greater New Orleans area, according to documents filed in federal court and signed by Riley. Money and banking information were among the items stolen from the mail, which Riley used to create fraudulent checks. These forged checks were then used to defraud several federally insured financial institutions. Riley also stole and used the identities of others to carry out the defrauding scheme.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy is up to five years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Riley could also be ordered to pay restitution to his victims. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is a mandatory two-year sentence that runs concurrently with any sentence imposed for the underlying offense, followed by up to one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Riley’s sentencing date is set for June 28, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the investigative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, the Louisiana State Police, and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorneys Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. and Richard R. Pickens, II.

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