United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

BRIDGEPORT MAN WHO DEFRAUDED BANK, FLORIDA RESIDENTS SENTENCED TO 46 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GREGORY LYNCH, 41, formerly of Bridgeport and last residing in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Peter C. Dorsey in New Haven to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding Webster Bank of approximately $200,000, and three Florida residents of approximately $170,000.  LYNCH also was ordered to pay more than $371,000 in restitution to Webster Bank and the three Florida residents.  On April 2, 2009, LYNCH pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, in 2006 and 2007, LYNCH and others conspired to defraud Webster Bank by opening accounts in the names of various businesses, depositing counterfeit checks into those accounts, and then withdrawing funds.  Through this scheme, LYNCH defrauded the bank of approximately $200,000.

In the midst of his scheme to defraud Webster Bank, LYNCH went on vacation to Jamaica where he befriended a Florida woman.  LYNCH pretended to be a wealthy Connecticut real estate investor.  LYNCH flew the Florida woman to Connecticut to view his property holdings, which did not exist.  LYNCH ultimately convinced the Florida woman to wire transfer him more than $90,000 to invest in a Connecticut property.  LYNCH also convinced the Florida woman’s sister and elderly mother to wire transfer him $35,000 each to invest in the Connecticut property.  After he received the money from the Florida woman and her family, LYNCH did not invest it in real estate.  Instead, LYNCH spent the money, including a large portion at a Connecticut casino.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rahul Kale.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov