Several from the greater Fall River area are facing charges in an alleged $35,000 fraud scheme.
According to Somerset Police, on October 28th, Officers were dispatched to Citizens Bank, located at 815 Grand Army Highway (Route 6), for a report of a female suspect allegedly attempting to commit a check fraud scheme. Detectives operating unmarked vehicles responded to the area while uniformed patrol officers positioned themselves in nearby business parking lots. As officers are aware, these types of fraud schemes often involve multiple individuals working together, with potential co-conspirators waiting in vehicles some distance from the targeted business.
While conducting surveillance from a nearby parking lot, detectives observed the female suspect walking through the Super Stop & Shop parking lot before entering a gray 2002 Volvo. Upon observing the suspect enter the vehicle, detectives and uniformed patrol officers coordinated their response and positioned their vehicles around the Volvo, preventing it from leaving the area.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the female suspect had attempted to deposit a $35,000 check into a newly opened Citizens Bank account. The account had reportedly been opened just one day earlier. During the attempted transaction, the bank teller identified several suspicious indicators and contacted the business identified as the issuer of the check. The business subsequently confirmed that the check, which had been made payable to the female suspect using the business’s name, was fraudulent.
As a result of the investigation, three individuals were placed under arrest, and a fourth individual was criminally summoned for their alleged involvement in the scheme.
All four individuals were charged with Attempting to Commit a Crime, Uttering a False Check, and Conspiracy.
The three individuals placed under arrest were 41-year-old Andre Cairo of Fall River, 27-year-old Stasha Medeiros of Swansea, and 32-year-old Rajheem Chardonnette of Fall River.
Court records show that at arraignment in Fall River District Court, all three pled not guilty and were released with pretrial hearings scheduled for December.
