111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
White Plains, NY 10601
Tel: (914) 995-3586
Fax: (914) 995-2116
March 3, 2017 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced today that Devante Rainey (DOB 06/02/92) of 34 Snowden Ave., Ossining, NY pled guilty before Judge Larry Schwartz to:
- one count of Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class “D” Felony and
- one count of Criminal Possession of Forgery Devices, a class “D” Felony.
Rainey had been the target of a two year investigation by this 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.
He 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.
The defendant’s remand continues.
He will be sentenced on May 12, 2017.
The defendant faces a sentence of imprisonment, the minimum of which is two years, up to a maximum of seven years in state prison.
Assistance in this investigation was provided by the Village of Ossining Police Department.
Assistant District Attorney Cheryl Lee of the Investigations Division is prosecuting the case.
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