BRIDGEPORT – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against three residents from Fairfield and New Haven counties for participating in a stolen check and bank fraud scheme involving small business accounts.
The defendants are Michelle Freeman, also known as “Thunder,” 37, of Waterbury, Leshanda Long, 43, of Hamden, and Omar Eaddy, 40, of Bridgeport.
As alleged in the indictment and court documents released by David Sullivan, U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, the trio engaged in a scheme that involved the theft of checks from mailboxes and the manipulation of the stolen checks to make them payable to individuals who served as “check runners.”
The check runners would then cash the fraudulent checks and provide the cash to the conspirators. Freeman led the conspiracy and was responsible for counterfeiting the fraudulent checks, which were primarily drawn from small business accounts in Connecticut. Long and Eaddy recruited the check runners to cash the checks at banks and check cashing locations.
The indictment, which was returned on Aug. 20, charges Freeman, Long, and Eaddy with conspiracy to commit bank fraud – an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
Freeman, Long, and Eaddy were arrested on criminal complaints on May 6. They are each released on a $100,000 bond and are scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 26.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Connecticut Organized Financial Fraud Task Force, which includes personnel from the Milford, Westport, Fairfield, West Haven, Stamford, West Hartford, and BridgeportpPolice departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Boyles.
