Poughkeepsie men accused of running identity theft and bank fraud ring

A federal grand jury has indicted three members of an alleged identity theft ring in Poughkeepsie for creating fake drivers”™ licenses to steal money from a bank.

Ansumana “Moussa” Sheriff, Kodjo “Sam” Kondon and Allassane “Yoro” Doumbia were arraigned this week on charges of identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. They allegedly stole $46,828 over a year-and-a-half period from October 2015 to April 2017.

They obtained the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of five people, according to the criminal complaint, then created phony drivers”™ licenses. The licenses were purportedly from Illinois, Maryland, Rhode Island and South Carolina and bore their photographs. They were used to open bank accounts under local addresses.

The men allegedly ran up charges on credit cards or overdrew the accounts until the bank froze or closed the accounts.

Last November, law enforcement agents searched Sheriff”™s apartment in Poughkeepsie. They found materials, according to postal inspector Hope M. Cerda, that are hallmarks of an identity theft operation: drivers”™ licenses, photographs, debit and credit cards and cable bills displaying the names, addresses and images of other people. Also found were credit card blanks, blank check stock, laminate paper, a paper cutter and various types of glue. A notebook found in Sheriff”™s bedroom allegedly lists names of various people with Social Security numbers, addresses and bank account numbers.

Investigators linked the suspects to the drivers”™ licenses by comparing the licenses to bank surveillance camera images of men opening bank accounts.

Sheriff and Doumbia have pleaded not guilty. The Orange County district attorney”™s office reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Kondon when he failed to appear for a trial in April.