Union County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud

A Union County, New Jersey, man pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud by soliciting U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees to steal check books from the mail and depositing fraudulent checks. The scheme, which began in summer 2019 and continued until October 2019, resulted in the attempted theft of approximately $38,364 from victim financial institutions. Brian Previlon, 28, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million for his role in the conspiracy.

Key Takeaways:

• Brian Previlon, 28, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud with the assistance of USPS employees.
• The scheme, which lasted from summer 2019 to October 2019, involved the theft of check books from the mail and the fraudulent deposit of checks into victim financial institutions.
• Previlon and his co-conspirators obtained and attempted to obtain approximately $38,364 from victim financial institutions.
• The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
• Previlon is scheduled for sentencing on December 3, 2021.
• The investigation was conducted by postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, special agents with the USPS-Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, the U.S. Secret Service, the New Jersey State Police, the Elizabeth Police Department, and the Secaucus Police Department.

Statistics:

• The scheme lasted from summer 2019 to October 2019.
• Approximately $38,364 was attempted to be stolen from victim financial institutions.
• The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison.
• The fine for the conspiracy charge is up to $1 million.

Sources:

• U.S. Department of Justice (no date provided)
• U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey (no date provided)