A Florida man accused of helping drive a massive COVID-era check scam is asking a Manhattan federal judge for mercy as his sentencing date looms, urging the court to go below a nearly eight-year guideline term in a case that prosecutors say involved roughly $80 million in attempted theft.
Federal prosecutors allege that the crew behind the scheme ran a years-long operation that used sham companies and stolen or fake identities to cash government checks tied to pandemic tax credits and other relief payments. According to the indictment, the group tried to steal about $80 million and actually deposited around $50 million before the authorities closed in.
Co-defendant asks for less than 97 months
According to Inner City Press, defendant Solomon Aluko, identified in court papers as "D1 ReallyRich," told the court on June 29 that he should receive a sentence below the 97-month federal guideline. Inner City Press reports that Aluko’s sentencing is set for July 14 in the Southern District of New York, and that his attorney laid out mitigating factors in support of a lower term.
Federal prosecutors describe an $80M attempt
As the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York explained in its initial announcement, investigators say the defendants tried to steal about $80 million in government checks and successfully deposited roughly $50 million by running counterfeit, stolen and fraudulently obtained checks through the system.
"We allege that the defendants stole tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief and other checks," Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said in the press release, framing the case as a major hit to taxpayer-funded pandemic support.
Indictment details bank-insider role and a "Fraud Bible"
The public indictment spells out the playbook investigators say the group followed to move money and hide who was really behind the accounts. According to the indictment, one defendant, identified as Shan Anand, worked as a teller at a Queens bank and "abused his position at Bank-1 to further the conspiracy." Prosecutors say the crew also relied on a so-called "Fraud Bible," which allegedly contained step-by-step instructions the conspirators drew from.
Guilty pleas already entered
Two defendants have already admitted guilt, according to court coverage. Inner City Press reports that Leonard Ujkic pleaded guilty on Feb. 4 and Anand followed with a guilty plea on Feb. 11. That same reporting notes that Ujkic was released on a $100,000 bond and restricted to travel in one district in Florida and one district in Georgia while the case proceeds.
Legal stakes and what to watch
The indictment and public filings underline how high the stakes are for everyone still awaiting sentencing. Wire fraud and bank fraud counts can translate into decades in federal prison, money-laundering charges stack on additional exposure, and aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory extra two-year sentence on top of whatever else the judge imposes. Hoodline's earlier reporting summarized those statutory maximums and the prosecutors steering the case.
Attention now shifts to Aluko’s July 14 sentencing, where the judge will decide whether the defense’s mitigation arguments are enough to justify dropping below the 97-month guideline recommendation. The case remains captioned USA v. Anand, et al., 1:25-cr-110 (Castel), and filings in the run-up to the hearing are expected to shed more light on how both sides think the federal guidelines should apply.
Hoodline will keep an eye on the docket and on-the-ground reporting from the courtroom as the sentencing date approaches, and will report on any new filings or rulings that alter the landscape in this pandemic-era fraud prosecution.
