A Central Falls man, identified as a member of a Providence street gang, has been sentenced for his involvement in a bank fraud conspiracy. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced the sentencing of Ryan DaCruz, 28, who pleaded guilty to the charge in February.
DaCruz admitted to opening bank accounts at four Rhode Island banks between February 2022 and May 2023. He deposited checks stolen from the U.S. Mail into these accounts. The checks were altered so that DaCruz appeared as the payee. Funds from these deposits were quickly withdrawn or transferred before banks recognized them as fraudulent and closed the accounts. The intended loss was approximately $46,000.
Previously, DaCruz completed a federal sentence in January 2024 for being a felon in possession of a firearm while detained on the current bank fraud charge. U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose sentenced him to eighteen months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Assistant United States Attorneys John P. McAdams and Paul F. Daly, Jr., prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Providence Police Department.