Third Illinois Defendant Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

BOISE – A Bloomington, Illinois woman pleaded guilty to bank fraud.

According to court proceedings, Abbi L. Sullivan, 21, of Bloomington, Illinois, traveled to Idaho with at least three co-defendants in May 2020. On May 6, 2020, Sullivan cashed counterfeit checks at two First Interstate Bank branches in the Treasure Valley. The counterfeit checks had the logo and business information for the company accountholder along with a forgery of the account owner’s signature. The checks were payable to Sullivan. Sullivan presented her Illinois identification card to cash the counterfeit checks. Sullivan knowingly presented the counterfeit checks and provided false information to the bank, intending to defraud the financial institution. In addition to the checks in Idaho, Sullivan traveled with other named and unnamed co-conspirators to other states to cash counterfeit checks.

Sullivan is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2022. Co-defendants Jakara Edwards, 23, and Tatyana Love, 21, both of Chicago, pleaded guilty on October 19, 2021 to bank fraud. Edwards and Love are scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2022.

All three defendants face a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ada County Sheriff's Office, Boise Police Department, Garden City Police Department, Meridian Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Ellisville Police Department, Fort Atkinson Police Department, Gahanna Police Department, Johnson Creek Police Department, Montgomery Township Police Department, Normal Police Department, Peoria County Sheriff’s Office, Redwood City Police Department, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Stockton Police Department, Waltham Police Department, and Wellesley Police Department, which led to charges.

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