Quentavious Price, a 38-year-old from Hampton, Georgia, was sentenced on Apr. 27 to three years in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
Price and several co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme between January and September 2022 that targeted financial institutions in western New York. The group traveled from Atlanta to the region, stole legitimate checks from businesses, created fraudulent versions of those checks, and recruited individuals to cash them at various banks. These recruits were outfitted with clothing meant to make them appear as construction workers or laborers before being driven to local financial institutions where they attempted to cash the fraudulent checks. Successful participants received small payments for their efforts.
The sentencing comes after Price’s involvement in multiple incidents: In January 2022, he and others traveled from Atlanta to Buffalo and tried cashing fake checks at KeyBank branches using business accounts based in Elma and Tonawanda. In March of that year, Price returned with two others and brought three people to M&T Bank branches as well as other local banks using forged checks tied to businesses in Tonawanda, Clarence, and Sanborn. By September 2022, the group expanded its activities by flying into Rochester with six individuals who then attempted similar schemes at several area banks using accounts belonging to businesses based in Rochester and Alden.
During one felony violation connected with this case, Price used the identity of one of the victim business owners. The total loss associated with these actions amounted—both actual losses and intended losses—to $64,979.67.
Other members of the conspiracy—Lorenzo Jones, Ameer Clark, and Montez White—have already been convicted and sentenced.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York prosecutes federal criminal violations such as this case while also handling civil litigation on behalf of the United States government according to its official website. The office operates under the Department of Justice according to its official website and employs about 120 federal prosecutors along with support staff according to its official website. It covers a jurisdiction spanning seventeen counties across western New York according to its official website, maintains offices both at 138 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo as well as at 100 State Street in Rochester according to its official website, engages regularly with community groups through training forums aimed at improving public safety according to its official website, collects federal debts on behalf of government agencies according to its official website, partners closely with law enforcement agencies throughout western New York according to its official website.
