New Britain Woman Admits Role in Counterfeit Check Bank Fraud Scheme

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LILIBETH PEREZ, 20, of New Britain, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a conspiracy charge related to her role in a counterfeit check bank fraud scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately December 2017 and December 2018, Perez and others obtained access to bank accounts in the name of other individuals, deposited counterfeit checks into those accounts, and withdrew money from the accounts before the banks discovered the checks to be counterfeit.  The investigation revealed that Perez and others obtained access to the bank accounts by recruiting individuals through social media and persuading the individuals to share their account information, including debit cards and associated PIN numbers.

Perez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.  She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on January 3, 2020.

Perez was arrested on a criminal complaint on January 9, 2019.  She is released on a $100,000 bond.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.