12 Charged In Delco Check Cashing Scheme

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — A dozen people have been implicated in a fake check cashing scheme in Delaware County, according to authorities. Nine of those people have been arrested and warrants issued for the remaining three.

Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland and Lansdowne Police Chief Daniel Donegan Jr. said 12 people participated in a check cashing scheme that involved forging and passing fraudulent checks from December 2018. Authorities said in total, the dozen caused a loss of $25,238.54.

Twelve individuals were identified as participating in this check cashing scheme. Arrest warrants were issued for the following individuals:

• Catherine Deorio, 38, of Philadelphia (arrested);
• David Zicardi, 27, of Philadelphia (warrant);
• Michael Lafferty, 26, of Lansdowne (arrested);
• Tyrell Calwise, 22, of Collingdale (warrant);
• Jakirah Cromwell, 27, of Philadelphia (arrested);
• Vivian Lauber, 41, of Philadelphia (arrested);
• James Alleva, 39, of Philadelphia (arrested);
• Michael Mitchell, 20, of Philadelphia (arrested);
• Devin Collins, 27, of Darby (arrested);
• Andre Johnson, 26, of Philadelphia (warrant);
• Shyanne Coombs, 23, of Trainer (arrested);
• Madeline Halloran, 37, of Philadelphia (arrested).

All 12 are facing felony and misdemeanor theft and conspiracy charges and related offenses, the DA's office said.

On Aug. 2, 2019, Darby Borough Police officers stopped a U-Haul van and identified those inside as Alleva, Zacardi and Holloran. An inventory of the vehicle revealed counterfeit checks in the name of Zacardi, Alleva, and Holloran.

Authorities learned the fake checks were being made in an apartment in Lansdowne.

Lansdowne Borough Police and Delaware County detectives determined that in December 2018, Deorio started issuing counterfeit checks at her then residence on the 100 block of Lansdowne Avenue in Lansdowne.

Deorio lived there with Lafferty and Zicardi.

Using an application on her laptop computer, Deorio was able to create counterfeit checks which appeared valid, the DA's office said.

Deorio created counterfeit checks in the names of various fake businesses, including MAID 2 CLEAN, EMG Acquisition Company, Philly Clean, ADR Contracting, A Kutting Edge, CDR Contracting, and A 1 Roofing, the DA's office said.

The fraudulent checks were printed on check stock, contained the name of the business, the business phone number, the address of the business, and a proper routing number but an incorrect account number, according to the DA's office.

After creating these fake business checks, Deorio along with Lafferty and Zicardi recruited others to help them cash the counterfeit checks at check cashers in the region, the DA's office said.

The recruited conspirators would give their contact information to Lafferty or Deorio, who would contact them several days later and pick them up in a car to take them to a check cashing business, according to the DA's office.

Lafferty would drive, while Deorio sat in the front passenger seat, and Zicardi would sit in the backseat. While driving to the various check cashing stores, they would instruct the individual how to cash the check and what would happen inside the store.

Deorio would advise the person they had recruited that the machine the cashier used to check the validity would not detect that the check was counterfeit, according to the DA's office.

Deorio then would tell the recruited conspirator that the phone number on the check and the number on website would come back to her cell phone, the DA's office said.

Once the recruit exited the check cashing business, all money was given to Deorio and she would pay the recruited person who cashed the check 25 percent of the face amount of the check, according to the DA's office.

Through investigation, authorities learned that in addition to the check cashing scam, Deorio created these fraudulent company names using different addresses and phone numbers associated to her, the DA's office said.

For each one of the fraudulently created businesses, Deorio also created fake websites and fake reviews for these fraudulent businesses on Yelp, according to the DA's office. The check cashing businesses would verify the presented checks by using the above listed as sources including by looking up websites, looking on Yelp for reviews and calling all phone numbers provided before they would cash a check, according to the DA's office.

Numerous check cashing businesses were victims of this scheme, including businesses in Delaware, Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, the DA's office said.

A search warrant executed at Deorio’s, Zacardi’s, and Lafferty’s then current residence on the 100 block of Lansdowne Avenue in Lansdowne revealed numerous items related to this scheme, including the following: a Silver Lacer Laptop, HP OfficeJet 3830 printer, a large quantity of black check stock, and numerous counterfeit checks made out to the defendants using the fictitiously created business names, according to the DA's office.

If you believe that you have been victimized as part of this scheme, please contact CID Detective Steven J. Cortese at (610) 891-4861.