South Jersey Trio Cashed Customers' Blank Checks In Conspiracy: Feds

SOUTH JERSEY — Three South Jersey residents face federal charges for developing and cashing fraudulent checks with forged signatures, authorities announced Tuesday.

The three men — Eugene O. Koranteng and Emmanuel S. Yirenkyi, both of Maple Shade, and Misty Sarfo-Adu, of Deptford — were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

The trio obtained blank checks containing the names and account information of a credit card company's unsuspecting customers, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Koranteng, Yirenkyi and Sarfo-Adu made the checks payable to members of the conspiracy, forged the customers' signatures and negotiated the checks at financial institutions, federal authorities said.

In July 2018, Sarfo-Adu messaged Yirenkyi a photo of four blank checks made payable to Koranteng for $8,750 and deposited them into Koranteng's bank account, according to court documents. Another check of the same amount, made payable to another conspirator, was deposited into that conspirator's credit-union account, authorities said.

The three South Jersey residents also deposited other fraudulent checks using customers' credit-card account information into that conspirator's credit-union account, the DOJ said.

If convicted, the count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries up to 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million.