NYPD Officer Faces Bank, Loan Fraud Charges: Feds

GOSHEN, NY — An Orange County man who is an officer with the New York Police Department was arrested Tuesday on bank and loan fraud charges. Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Eduardo Rodriguez, 41, of Goshen, was taken into custody Tuesday morning.

He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit load fraud and one count of making false statements.

"As alleged, Eduardo Rodriguez, an officer with the New York Police Department, misled a financial institution about his intentions for a loan," Berman said.

"Instead of using the loan proceeds for a car, he allegedly used the money for other purposes," he said. "If anything, law enforcement officers should be held to a higher standard than the general public. At a minimum, they should be expected to obey the law."

According to the allegations in the indictment, in June 2017, Rodriquez agreed with at least two other individuals to submit an application to a lender for an automobile loan for the purpose, albeit false, of financing his purchase of a vehicle that he never intended to own from a real automobile dealer, according to authorities.

The lender issued Rodriguez a loan and a check which he endorsed and gave to the two other people with the understanding they would deposit and withdraw money against that check for Rodriguez.

In March, postal inspectors interviewed Rodriguez and he falsely claimed he had no involvement in applying for, or any knowledge about, the loan, police said.

However, in April 2018, he was interviewed by federal law enforcement officers and admitted that he did endorse the check, but falsely said it was so that the other two people could give it back to the lender, authorities said.

Furthermore, prosecutors said, Rodriguez denied having any prior relationship with one of the individuals and that that person contacted him about obtaining the loan.

In reality, authorities said, Rodriguez had a business relationship with the individual dating back to at least December 2015 and had been in substantial telephone contact long before when he first claimed he had met the person.

The charges Rodriguez faces carry the following maximum sentences: 30 years for bank fraud conspiracy, five years for loan fraud conspiracy and five years for making false statements.

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