Worcester Man Charged With Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft

WORCESTER, MA — Authorities arrested a Worcester man Thursday after they claim he fraudulently deposited a United States Treasury check valued at more than $1 million. Leonardo Nascimento, 34, has been charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced Monday.

According to charging documents, on Oct. 30, 2020, Nascimento visited a branch of Santander Bank, opened a business bank account and then deposited a United States Treasury check in the amount of $1,064,613 in someone else’s name into the account.

Authorities said Nascimento is believed to have provided Santander with a form claiming the payee gave Nascimento permission to cash a check in his name. That form also contained the payee’s purported signature.

Investigators said they then spoke with the payee who confirmed that the U.S. Treasury check was his 2019 personal tax return refund, authorities said. Nascimento reportedly did not know the payee and that the signature on the check was not the payee’s actual signature.

Nascimento faces up to 30 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million if found guilty of bank fraud. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, according to federal prosecutors.

Note: The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.