Hamden Man Pleads Guilty In Fraud Schemes: Feds

HAMDEN, CT — A Hamden man has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in connection with two separate criminal schemes, according to officials.

Lamont Bethea, 31, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Bridgeport, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery announced in a news release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Bethea took part in two separate criminal schemes.

“In the first scheme, Bethea was employed as a Patient Care Associate at Yale New Haven Health Systems (YNHHS),” officials wrote in the news release. “In June 2020, Bethea and Lorita Fair, who worked in the YNHHS payroll department, began to embezzle YNHHS payroll funds. Fair made fraudulent entries in the YNHHS payroll system that resulted in Bethea, Fair and another individual receiving direct-deposited payroll payments that they were not entitled to. Bethea and the other individual then kicked back to Fair a portion of the fraudulent payroll payments they received.

“As a result of this scheme, which lasted until December 2020, YNHHS sustained a loss of more than $116,260. Approximately $106,000 of this amount was paid into Bethea’s bank account.”

In the second fraud scheme, beginning in July 2020, Bethea “received personal checks that had been stolen from an individual who lived in New Haven,” according to officials.

“The victim’s signature was forged on the checks, which were made payable to Bethea, and Bethea deposited them into his personal bank account,” officials wrote. “Using the routing and account numbers on the checks, Bethea also arranged electronic transfers from the victim’s bank account and used these transfers to pay personal expenses for himself, his family members, and friends. The expenses included credit card bills, rent, car insurance payments, student loans, cell phone bills, and other payments. Through this scheme, Bethea and others stole more than $317,000, of which Bethea and his family members and friends received a total of more than $131,000.”

Bethea was arrested on Oct. 21, 2021 on a criminal complaint charging him with offenses arising from the YNHHS fraud scheme. He pleaded guilty to one count wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, and one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, according to officials.

Bethea, who was released on a $50,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 23.

Fair, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in April to one count of theft in connection with health care for her role in the YNHHS fraud. She awaits sentencing and is also released on a $50,000 bond.

Officials said the ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI, with the assistance of YNHHS and Bank of America.