BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A Brooklyn, N.Y. man was sentenced on Friday in Bridgeport for helping steal $479,569 from a retired New Haven woman, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Mavani Coleman, 44, received a three-month prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, prosecutors say.
Court documents and statements made in court note that in 2018, New Haven resident Gregory Ivy began working for a retired woman, the victim, doing odd jobs. In October 2018, he began stealing checks from her checkbook while in her home, prosecutors say.
Ivy then reportedly wrote checks payable to himself, forged the victim’s signature on them and deposited them into his personal credit union account before giving stolen blank checks, on which he forged the victim’s signature, to Coleman.
Prosecutors say Coleman then filled in the name of a payee and the amount to be paid; Ivy and Coleman first agreed to deposit the checks into other people’s bank accounts. Ivy was supposed to receive half the profits.
According to the release, Coleman worked with others to cash or deposit the stolen checks and would kick back amounts between $500 and $800 to Ivy, but at times, Ivy did not receive his agreed-upon share of the profits.
Prosecutors note that Coleman also used the routing number and account number of the victim’s bank account to set up electronic money transfers from the victim’s account to make payments for himself, his business, his family members and other friends and acquaintances.
The release says Coleman worked with other people, such as Lamont Bethea, to cash or deposit stolen checks after Ivy forged the victim’s signature, and Bethea used the routing and account numbers to set up electronic money transfers from the victim’s account to make payments for himself and others.
Bethea also gave the routing and bank account numbers to others so they could arrange similar transfers for themselves and others from the victim’s account, the release says.
Prosecutors note that Coleman, Ivy, Bethea and others obtained a total of $624,818 from the victim’s bank account, but after the victim’s bank account became overdrawn, some of the attempted check deposits or money transfers were reversed.
Ultimately, the victim lost $479,569, and prosecutors say Coleman personally stole $33,869 from the victim while participating in the scheme.
On Friday, Coleman was ordered to pay restitution of $248,423, including money he stole from the account and funds stolen by his co-conspirators.
The release says Coleman was arrested on April 6, 2023, and that he pleaded guilty to bank fraud on Feb. 14. He was released on a $50,000 bond and must report to prison on Oct. 16, 2024.
Prosecutors say Ivy and Bethea previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the release, the U.S. Justice Department established a National Elder Fraud Hotline, offering services to seniors who may be the victims of financial fraud. The hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers; they assist callers with reporting suspected fraud to pertinent agencies by giving resources and referrals to other appropriate services.
When applicable, the case managers will complete a complaint form with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission for the caller, the release says.
The Hotline’s toll-free number is 833-372-8311, and for more information, one can click here.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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