United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

WINDSOR WOMAN WHO CASHED COUNTERFEIT CHECKS IS SENTENCED

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERICA TANN, age 30, of 22 Amanda Circle, Windsor, Connecticut, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Christopher F. Droney in Hartford to one day of imprisonment and three years of supervised release following her conviction for bank fraud.

In February 2004, TANN and seven others were charged with bank fraud in a 44-count Indictment. The Indictment alleged that between August 10, 2001 and October 17, 2003, approximately, TANN and the others presented and cashed 44 checks totaling approximately $130,000 at numerous financial institutions in Connecticut. The Indictment charged that the defendants knew that the checks were, in fact, counterfeit, in that they had been falsely made and manufactured. In each case, the defendants were able to cash the checks at the financial institution upon which the checks were drawn, or at a financial institution where they maintained a personal account prior to the financial institution's detection of the worthlessness of the check.

On May 26, 2004, TANN pleaded guilty to Count 13 of the Indictment. As a condition of her guilty plea, TANN has agreed to pay restitution to Banknorth in the amount of $7763.25, which Judge Droney ordered her to pay at a rate of $100 per month.

To date, four of the individuals charged in the Indictment have pleaded guilty. TANN is the first to be sentenced. U.S. Attorney O'Connor stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each of the other four defendants is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the Government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service with assistance provided by the Windsor, Hartford, Southington, Cromwell, Manchester, Vernon, and West Hartford Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov