PROVIDENCE – A Central Falls man on Monday pleaded guilty to a charge of bank fraud conspiracy in federal court, admitting that he deposited stolen and fraudulent checks into bank accounts he controlled, according to U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Ryan DaCruz, 28, admitted that between February 2022 and May 2023, he opened bank accounts at four Rhode Island banks, into which he then deposited checks totaling tens of thousands of dollars that had been stolen from the mail by others.
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According to information presented to the court, the stolen checks, most of which were third-party business checks, appeared to have been “washed” so that the names of payees could be changed to Ryan DaCruz and deposited into his accounts, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
The deposited funds were then quickly taken out of the accounts through cash withdrawals and money transfers.
When the banks recognized the fraud, they closed the accounts, prosecutors said. DaCruz would then open a new account at a different bank. In some instances, the banks were able to stop payment on checks before the funds were completely depleted; in other instances, they were not. The fraud totaled about $46,000.
DaCruz is already in federal prison on a separate conviction of being a felon in possession of ammunition. The alleged bank fraud took place before he was imprisoned, prosecutors said.
DaCruz pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Federal court records reflect that in August 2024, DaCruz was given a two-year prison sentence for having been convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The fraud case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. McAdams and Paul F. Daly Jr. The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Providence Police Department.
