Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Pittsburgh-area Banks

PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Philadelphia, PA, has pleaded guilty in federal court on a charge of fraud conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

Darein Clark, 23, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.

According to the indictment, Clark and others agreed to defraud Pittsburgh area banks by depositing counterfeit checks by remote mobile deposit, and then making a series of withdrawals against funds credited from the deposited checks.

Judge Cercone scheduled the sentence for sentencing for October 6, 2017. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force (WPFCTF), conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of this defendant. The WPFCTF was established as a collaborative, multi-agency effort to effectively combat financial crimes, including identity fraud, in Western Pennsylvania. Partnering in this effort are the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Pennsylvania State Police.