'Prolific' Check Forger Sentenced To Prison

OSSINING, NY — An Ossining man who police described as a “prolific check forger” was sentenced to prison Wednesday. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. said Devante Rainey, 25, Snowden Avenue, Ossining, was sentenced by Judge Larry Schwartz to a minimum of two and a maximum of six years in state prison after having pleaded guilty on March 3, 2017, to first-degree identity theft and criminal possession of forgery devices, felonies.

Scarpino said Rainey had been the target of a two-year investigation by district attorney's office. He was a prolific check forger who had a distinct modus operandi: he purchased photographs of co-conspirators’ payroll checks, then used the routing numbers and checking account numbers on those checks to create forged checks using VersaCheck small business software.

Rainey then deposited the checks via mobile deposit into co-conspirators’ bank accounts, making the fraudulent activity one step removed from him. He used fictitious payor names and addresses on the checks to further mislead law enforcement.

In March 2016, search warrants were executed by D.A. Investigators on two premises that Rainey was using as forgery “mills,” one in Ossining and the other in Cortlandt. Computers, printers, forged checks and phones were recovered. At the Cortlandt “mill,” shredded checks and other discarded evidence of check making were located in a dumpster. When the defendant was arrested, he was found with two forged checks in his pocket.

Forensic analysis of the phones and computers revealed large-scale fraudulent activity.

The defendant was arraigned on these charges in Ossining Village Court on July 12, 2016 and in Cortlandt Town Court on July 18, 2016.

Assistance in this investigation was provided by the Village of Ossining Police Department.

After the sentencing, the defendant was remanded into the custody of the New York State Department of Corrections.

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