In a recent revelation by the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, Dacson Sears and Raymond Lyles stand indicted for a complex financial scam involving stolen identities and fabricated financial documents. According to a statement from District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, the alleged fraud encompassed the creation of identity profiles using 17 stolen social security numbers and further misappropriation of sums amounting to approximately $416,000 from financial institutions.
Employing methods of identity theft detailed by authorities, Sears, 42, and Lyles, 41, reportedly crafted extensive personal profiles complete with driver's licenses, bank statements, and other essential records. They then used these profiles to secure loans fraudulently in the victims' names - a strategy which led to their indictment on multiple charges including identity theft, money laundering, and scheme to defraud. As released without bail, the defendants are scheduled to return to court on August 6, planting seeds of concern about the security of personal financial information.
New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch condemned the scheme, highlighting the trust New Yorkers place in the integrity of their financial institutions. In her commentary, as obtained by the Brooklyn District Attorney's press release, Tisch commended the collaborative efforts of the NYPD, Secret Service, and the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office in their pursuit to unravel and halt the operation. Additionally, the U.S. Secret Service emphasized the destruction such crimes inflict on innocent victims, with Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Freaney affirming the necessity of interrupting such profitable illegal activities.
The indictment goes into detail about the perpetrators’ actions between January 1, 2022, and January 1, 2024, where alongside email addresses and new financial accounts, it's alleged the defendants obtained debit cards mailed to addresses they controlled. One of the accused, Sears, allegedly secured some $52,000 by applying for COVID relief funds falsely - a scam approved and subsequently disbursed, causing losses to the New York State Office of Disability and Temporary Assistance.
Various members of law enforcement agencies and financial institutions contributed to the investigation of this intricate fraud case. Detective Marcelo Razzo of the NYPD’s Financial Crimes Taskforce, Special Agent Haley Hoffman of the Cyber Crimes Taskforce at the United States Secret Service, along with other analysts and investigators, were thanked by the District Attorney for their crucial roles in the case. The prosecution falls under the district attorney’s Frauds Bureau, with Senior Assistant District Attorney Deidre Moskowitz taking the lead on behalf of the state.
