Giovanni Joseph Sentenced for Stolen Mail Bank Fraud Scheme

The Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Giovanni Joseph, 34, formerly of Dix Hills, New York, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Rutland to time served following his guilty plea to one count of bank fraud.  Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Joseph to pay a total of $2,590 in restitution to three banks which sustained losses as a result of the bank fraud scheme Joseph executed.  Joseph had been detained in federal custody since his arraignment in this case on October 6, 2021.  Following his federal sentencing, he will be returned to the custody of Pennsylvania authorities to complete a state sentence for an unrelated narcotics offense.

According to court records, Joseph presented stolen checks at five banks around central Vermont in March of 2020.  The checks had been stolen from U.S. Postal Service mail collection boxes in Montpelier, East Montpelier, and Wilmington.  On four occasions, the stolen checks had been modified to change the original payee’s name to Joseph’s name.  Attempting to cash the fifth stolen check, Joseph presented a forged identification document to impersonate the check’s legitimate payee.

The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case.

Joseph is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defenders David L. McColgin and Sara M. Puls.  The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Spencer Willig.