Tampa Woman Charged In $2M Treasury Check Theft Scheme: U.S. DOJ

TAMPA, FL — A 47-year-old Tampa woman is one of three people charged in a federal indictment accusing them of intercepting U.S. Treasury checks worth more than $2 million and using counterfeit identification to deposit the checks into bank accounts, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

Kristy Marie Bochecchio, of Tampa, was charged alongside Stanley Richardson Joseph, 28, and Kallie Nicole Valerie Halliday, 26, both of Brooklyn, New York.

The three face charges of conspiracy, theft of government money or property and aggravated identity theft, federal prosecutors said.

The defendants intercepted Treasury checks mailed to their intended recipients, according to the indictment. After obtaining the checks, they allegedly created counterfeit driver’s licenses using the victims’ names and identities, then used the fake identification to open accounts at financial institutions and deposit the checks.

If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors will also seek the forfeiture of proceeds traceable to the alleged offenses.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations in New York.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer will prosecute the case.

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