Cuyahoga County Grand Jury Indicts Four in Connection with Check Fraud Scheme Including Theft from City of Parma

As reported by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, a Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted four individuals associated with a check fraud scheme, including the theft of a hefty check from the City of Parma. Rahshod Robinson, Jai Rell Jackson, Jamar Dingle, and Darmani Hawkins face charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, among other offenses, a sign that law enforcement is cracking down on white-collar criminals.

From July to December 2023, the accused allegedly operated a fraudulent enterprise, laundering stolen checks and forging duplicates. They reportedly deposited these checks into different bank accounts, drawing down the balances. It was revealed that these checks included two from government sources, with one mislaid check belonging to a vendor from the City of Parma, amounting to a substantial sum of $208,986.95.

"These four individuals thought they could get away with stealing thousands of dollars from public agencies, meaning from hardworking taxpayers, and private businesses," Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley stated via the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office website. "This indictment demonstrates if you participate in this illegal, corrupt activity, we will identify you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

The investigation carried out by the U.S. Secret Service's Money Laundering Task Force, alongside the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, has recovered $63,188 so far. The total amount deposited across various accounts exceeded $445,000, suggesting a broad-scale operation.

While Darmani Hawkins is already under federal custody due to unrelated charges, Rahsod Robinson was recently taken into custody by the Money Laundering Task Force and Parma Police Department, as announced last Thursday. The authorities have issued arrest warrants for the remaining suspects, Jai Rell Jackson and Jamar Dingle. The accused are scheduled for arraignment at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on October 11 at 8:30 a.m.