A Sullivan County woman has been accused of using an email spoofing scheme to steal millions of dollars from businesses and institutions.
Tetiana Berriors, 48, of Smallwood, a hamlet near Monticello, was charged with bank fraud, money laundering and identity theft in a federal indictment unsealed on June 8 in U.S. District Court, Manhattan.
She tried to trick people into transferring about $10 million to her bank accounts, according to the indictment, and “successfully received, laundered and withdrew over $3.5 million in victim funds.”
The indictment describes a business email compromise scheme in which fake but authentic-looking emails target employees of various organizations and direct them to transfer funds to outside bank accounts.
Berriors opened at least 13 accounts at five banks and used several aliases and shell companies, according to the indictment. She misrepresented her identity when she opened the accounts, and “falsely asserted that her shell companies were engaged in legitimate commercial activity when, in fact, they were engaged exclusively in crime.”
She allegedly tricked employees of a Texas housing developer, a Pennsylvania university, a California county government and other organizations to transfer funds to her bank accounts.
Then Berriors — and co-conspirators “known and unknown” — allegedly laundered the funds by rapidly depleting her bank accounts with cash withdrawals, cashier’s checks and funds wired to other shell companies.
In May 2021, for instance, she allegedly opened a bank account for a shell company called JW Consulting Enterprises LLC, represented it as a beauty consultant and used it as a “vehicle to launder victim funds.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn set bail at $100,000 and ordered a curfew and electronic monitoring. She directed Berriors to provide business registrations and six months of supply invoices to corroborate the legitimacy of her skincare business.
The judge also prohibited Berriors from opening any bank accounts, lines of credit or crypto-currency accounts; possessing personal identity information of others; and promoting prostitution or sex trafficking.
The U.S. Secret Service and the New York City police department assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the investigation. Assistant federal prosecutor Matthew J. King is handling the case.
Berriors’s attorney, Kristoff I. Williams, did not immediately respond to an email asking for a statement about the allegations.
