NEW HAVEN, CT — A 44-year-old Mansfield man was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with execution suspended after five years, for leading a check-kiting operation that defrauded multiple Connecticut banks of more than $350,000, prosecutors said.
Eric Christian pleaded guilty Aug. 12 in New Haven Superior Court to violating the state's Corrupt Organizations and Racketeering Act and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny.
Judge Tracey Lee Dayton also sentenced Christian to five years of probation.
According to prosecutors, Christian led a check-kiting ring that operated between 2020 and 2024 and recruited numerous accomplices to help carry out the scheme. Twelve co-conspirators also face criminal charges.
Investigators said the operation involved depositing checks from accounts with insufficient funds, withdrawing money that was temporarily made available by the banks and leaving the financial institutions to absorb the losses when the checks were returned.
Prosecutors said Christian also exploited about 30 to 40 individuals, many of whom were experiencing financial hardship, homelessness, mental health challenges or substance abuse issues.
Christian also recruited the individuals to open checking accounts using small amounts of money he provided, prosecutors said. He then obtained their personal identification information and ATM card numbers and directed them to deposit fraudulent checks, prosecutors said.
After the deposits made funds temporarily available, Christian traveled to ATMs throughout Connecticut to withdraw the money, according to investigators.
Some of the people recruited by Christian later faced arrest and prosecution, prosecutors said. Several provided statements to investigators identifying Christian as the organizer and leader of the operation, they said.
A search warrant executed at Christian's home at the time of his arrest resulted in the seizure of identifying information, documents, driver's licenses and banking information belonging to nearly 40 people, according to the State's Attorney's Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Connecticut State Police Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force, with Detective Michael Grabowski serving as lead investigator. The New Haven Police Department also assisted.
Because the criminal activity involved multiple jurisdictions, investigators coordinated with state's attorneys' offices in Hartford, Bridgeport, Ansonia-Milford, Tolland, Stamford-Norwalk and New Haven, as well as the Statewide Prosecution Bureau within the Office of the Chief State's Attorney and the FBI's New Haven office.
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