News and Press Releases
Minneapolis man sentenced for conspiring to
commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 41-year-old Minneapolis man
was sentenced for stealing the personal information of investors from a Minneapolis-based
financial services company and passing that information onto others who used it to make
purchases against the victims’ accounts. United States District Court Judge Richard H. Kyle
sentenced Riccardo Shcares Box to 36 months in prison on one count of bank fraud conspiracy
and one count of aggravated identity theft. Box was charged on November 4, 2011, and pleaded
guilty on December 14, 2011.
In his plea agreement, Box admitted that from March of 2008 through November of 2009,
he conspired with others to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. At the time, Box
was employed at a financial services company, where he had access to the personal and
financial information of its customers. His job included assisting new customers with
transferring their accounts from other financial institutions.
Box admittedly provided data to his co-conspirators, who then used that information to
obtain credit cards, with which they made an array of purchases. Box also accessed a system
involving a second group of customers and passed that data onto his co-conspirators. In total,
more than ten victims had information stolen, resulting in actual losses of at least $184,459.09
and attempted losses of at least $22,140.00.
On November 15, 2010, co-conspirator Demetrius Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of
conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On May 18, 2011, co-conspirator Kanetra Range was
sentenced to 42 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
These cases are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
(“USPIS”), the St. Paul Police Department, the Edina Police Department, the St. Louis Park
Police Department, and the Minnesota Financial Crimes Task Force. They were prosecuted by
Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell.
The Financial Crimes Task Force was established pursuant to state law. It is comprised of
local, state, and federal law enforcement investigators who work to combat the growing trend of
cross-jurisdictional financial crimes. The task force is overseen by an advisory board, also
created pursuant to state law.
The USPIS and the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office want to remind people to protect
themselves from identity theft. For more information, visit
http://www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html
