Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau announced today the indictment of a former radio personality in Pennsylvania accused of using stolen corporate bank account information belonging to the Federal Communications Commission, Bard College and others, to create fraudulent checks worth $4.2 million to be cashed by people throughout the world.

The defendant, BRUCE BOND, 48, of Manhattan, created thousands of fake checks in his Wall Street apartment and sent them out to people who had responded to online Craigslist ads or spam email solicitations offering various “work from home” job opportunities.

The international scam was designed to work in the following way: The defendant’s overseas accomplices posted their ads on Craigslist and sent out mass e-mails offering “job opportunities.” They would then communicate with the defendant and direct him to make fraudulent checks out to people who responded to their postings and e-mails, providing him with the names of the companies and account numbers, the names and mailing addresses of the payees, and the e-mail address to give the payee along with the check. The defendant would create the fraudulent checks and ship them to the payees, providing tracking numbers to his overseas accomplices so they could confirm delivery. Once the payees received their fraudulent checks and contacted their “employers,” they would be instructed to deposit the check into their own bank account, deduct 10 percent, and wire the remaining 90 percent to destinations in Nigeria or Europe. The overseas accomplices were able to receive their money before the depositor received notification from his or her bank that the check was fraudulent. The defendant received weekly payments from his accomplices for his role in the scheme.

The investigation leading to today’s indictment revealed that the defendant forged checks on a daily basis over the past 15 months ranging from $1,500 to $47,000 each. Pursuant to a court-authorized search warrant, he was found in possession of 221 checks in his apartment along with UPS and DHL overnight mail envelopes, blank check paper, computer equipment and printers when he was arrested on May 20, 2008. Another 816 UPS overnight express envelopes containing checks from the defendant were intercepted by the carrier. The total of the checks recovered to date in the investigation amounted to $4,289,594.77. It represents only a fraction of the thousands of checks the defendant sent out.

The scheme was discovered in May when UPS contacted the New York State Police after it had stopped shipment on hundreds of envelopes that had been sent using shipping accounts that had been opened with stolen credit cards. UPS investigators opened a few of the suspect envelopes and discovered checks purportedly issued on corporate bank accounts from around the country accompanied by notes telling the recipient to contact the sender at an e-mail address for further instructions.

Among the other victims in this case are Trantexinc Transportation, Aaron Rents, Pohanka Lexus, Lincoln Retirement Financial Services and Voxant, Inc.

The defendant was arraigned today in Supreme Court on numerous charges of attempted grand larceny, forgery and identity theft. The judge continued the same bail conditions of $250,000 cash or bond. The investigation continues into Bond’s accomplices.

Charges include 25 counts of Forgery in the Second Degree (a class D felony), 25 counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree (a class D felony), one count of Criminal Possession of Forgery Devices (a class D felony), seven counts of Identity Theft in the First Degree (a class D felony), six counts of an Attempt to Commit the Crime of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a class D felony) and one count of an Attempt to Commit Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a class E felony).

He faces 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison on each of the Class D felony charges and 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison on the Class E felony charge.

Assistant District Attorney Gary S. Snitow, who is assigned to the District Attorney’s Special Prosecutions Bureau, is in charge of this matter under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Thomas Wornom, Chief of the Special Prosecutions Bureau.

Mr. Morgenthau thanked the New York State Police, including Senior Investigator Randolph Donaldson and Investigator Thomas Swanson, and UPS Security Supervisor Margaret Atkinson.

Defendant Information
Bruce Bond, 12/16/1958
45 Wall Street, Apt. 1009
New York, New York

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