JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J -- An $11 million fraud scheme built on stolen checks, false identities and fraudulent bank accounts drew investigators from across the federal government, including the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, during a scheme running from March 2023 through June 2025.
Eight defendants pleaded guilty July 21 and Aug. 4, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in a scheme involving more than 100 stolen Treasury and commercial checks deposited or presented at banks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
“This case underscores the importance of the joint mission,” said Special Agent Linzi Joseph, commander of AFOSI Det. 307. “Complex financial fraud rarely stays within one agency’s lane, and bringing together investigators with different authorities helps us follow the money, identify those responsible and protect federal resources.”
According to a Justice Department release, the individuals pretended to be the businesses and people named on the stolen checks. They used business records to deposit the checks and split the money. Many of the Treasury checks were Employee Retention Credit refunds, part of a pandemic-era program meant to help businesses keep employees on the payroll.
The investigation included the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with AFOSI Special Agents from Det. 307 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.
“Det. 307 was proud to support our federal partners throughout this investigation,” Joseph said. “That teamwork is critical when a case crosses agencies and jurisdictions.”
The pleas were entered before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton. Sentencings are scheduled throughout December. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.