BUFFALO — Nine Western New Yorkers have pleaded guilty to charges of criminal possession of a forged instrument as part of a check cashing scheme that cost area banks $52,000.
According to Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr., the nine defendants who are indigent, many of them homeless or drug addicted, were recruited by out-of-town criminals to use their names on forged, counterfeit checks to be cashed at banks all across Erie County. The check amounts ranged from $2,000 to $5,000, and a small portion of the money was given to the defendants after the transactions.
From November until recently, approximately 36 checks were cashed with the loss to local banks totaling more than $52,000.
The nine are awaiting sentencing and face up to 7 years in prison for each fraudulent check passed. Some defendants could face as much as 35 years in state prison. They are:
- 48-year-old Robert Byers of Tonawanda
- 25-year-old Lindsey Ketch of Buffalo
- 39-year-old Timothy Budek of Buffalo
- 46-year-old Robert Jones of Buffalo
- 35-year-old Amanda McClain of Buffalo
- 27-year-old Anthony Gulnac of Tonawanda
- 34-year-old John Pasinski of Springville
- 58-year-old Lawrence Foggie of Buffalo
- 44-year old Demetrius Calhoun of Buffalo
The investigation continues against the out-of-town recruiters who are still at large. Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Amherst Police.
