GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A federal prosecutor in Maryland says a Florida man has pleaded guilty in connection with the theft of more than 2,600 checks intended for religious institutions in several states that were deposited into fake bank accounts.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron announced Tuesday that 31-year-old Florin Vaduva of Dania Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. The plea agreement orders Vaduva to pay at least $1 million restitution.
The guilty plea says that from June 2018 to January 2021, Vaduva and at least five others conspired to steal checks intended for religious institutions and deposit them into multiple fraudulent bank accounts. The checks were stolen from roadside mailboxes.
