A Secaucus man has been arrested for allegedly committing an over $1 million bank fraud scheme, including using the identities of two dead people, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Marc Lazarre, 37, of Secaucus, is charged by complaint with one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. District Court Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark.
From September 2021 through October 2022, Lazarre executed a scheme to enrich himself by using unlawfully obtained bank account and personal identity information to open accounts in victims’ names without their knowledge, according to court documents.
He caused the transfer of funds from the victims’ actual financial accounts to the accounts he opened and then withdrew the funds.
Lazarre also unlawfully obtained checks made out to victims, used fraudulent identification documents to open accounts in names almost identical to the victims’ names, and then cashed the unlawfully obtained checks.
As a result, he caused more than $1 million in actual losses and the six victims residing in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Ohio, and Florida. The Akron, Ohio victim had passed away in or around 2013, while the Queens, NY victims died in or around 1988.
The bank fraud count is punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison. The aggravated identity theft count carries an additional consecutive mandatory minimum term of two years in prison. Both counts have a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and special agents of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Barnes of the Economic Crimes Unit and Matthew Belgiovine of the General Crimes Unit.
