Providence Man Admits to Bank Fraud Conspiracy, Aggravated Identity Theft

PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man who stole the personal banking information of several individuals, including a retired Providence firefighter, and used that information to gain access to their funds, pleaded guilty today to federal bank fraud and identity theft charges.

Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Jamal Mansaray, 28, pleaded guilty to one count each of bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.

Mansaray’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Brian Deck, and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Harold H. Shaw.

According to information presented to the Court, a Providence Police Department investigation determined that in September 2017, an individual attempted to cash a check drawn on a Citizens Bank account belonging to a retired Providence firefighter without his consent. In an effort to confirm that cashing the check was permissible, an employee of the bank called the retired firefighter on a telephone number on file with the bank. The phone call actually rang to Mansaray’s cell phone. After Mansaray failed to properly respond to all of the questions posed by the bank employee, the employee declined to cash the check.  An investigation revealed that the telephone number on file with the bank had been altered and other personal identifying information on file with the bank belonging to the firefighter had been compromised. Further investigation determined that $82,000 was transferred from the retired firefighter’s money market account to his checking account without his knowledge.

Further investigation revealed that Mansaray had accessed to funds belonging to at least four other individuals. At the time of his guilty plea, Mansaray admitted to fraudulently obtaining a total of $74,600.

Mansaray is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on August 20, 2018.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.

The matter was investigated by the Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the United States Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.