United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

JAMAICAN CITIZEN SENTENCED TO 51 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR LEADING BRIDGEPORT-AREA BANK FRAUD CONSPIRACY

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SADIKI KOMUNYAKA LESLIE, 28, a citizen of Jamaica, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his leadership of a bank fraud conspiracy in the greater Bridgeport area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, LESLIE devised and led a conspiracy to defraud People’s Bank.  Beginning in approximately April 2005, LESLIE and others obtained checks associated with closed bank accounts or open accounts with little or no balance, and ATM cards and personal identifying numbers (“PINs”) associated with open bank accounts with little or no balance.  LESLIE and his co-conspirators then deposited  “dummy” checks, which typically ranged from $2500 to $6000, at People’s Bank ATMs in the greater Bridgeport area.  Before the bank detected the fraud, a member of the conspiracy would withdraw cash from People’s Bank ATMs.  Members of the conspiracy also would use the ATM cards at local stores to purchase goods and withdraw additional cash from the People’s Bank accounts.

As a leader of the scheme, LESLIE approached other individuals to give him their checkbooks and would pay them for the checks.  He also received ATM cards and PINs from others whom he would pay if he was able to withdraw money from the account.

Through this scheme, LESLIE and his co-conspirators deposited $509,447 in fraudulent checks at People’s Bank ATMs, and the bank lost $310,475 as a result.

Today, LESLIE was ordered to pay full restitution to People’s Bank.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.   The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David T. Huang.

CONTACT:

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