SEATTLE — A Lynnwood man who admitted he was behind an elaborate bank fraud scheme was sentenced Friday to just more than six years in a federal prison.
Derico Fuller, 29, pleaded guilty to numerous charges in January.
He is believed to be responsible for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from banks and other financial institutions. Fuller recruited young people to help him carry out his scheme, according to court records.
He convinced them to deposit fraudulent payroll checks in their bank accounts and then withdraw large amounts of cash before the banks knew the checks were bogus.
The conspirators also recruited others to give them their ATM cards and personal identification numbers, deposit fake checks and withdraw the cash. The account owners were then instructed to claim that their cards had been lost or stolen, in order to avoid prosecution.
Six other people have been sentenced to prison in connection with fraud ring.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Barbosa in asking for the lengthy sentence argued that Fuller caused great damage not only to the banks but also to the young people he involved in the scheme.
“Mr. Fuller is a classic fraud-pimp who preyed upon the vulnerabilities of others to further his goals,” Barbosa wrote.
U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman also ordered Fuller to pay $564,834 in restitution.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
