Bronx Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Antonio Vargas, age 58, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for defrauding five Capital Region banks by using fake identifications to withdraw funds from accounts.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

Vargas previously pled guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. He admitted that in June and July 2022, he presented to bank tellers counterfeit U.S. passport cards and driver's licenses with his photograph, but with the names and other personal information of real customers of Trustco Bank, Pioneer Bank, Broadview Federal Credit Union, Adirondack Trust Bank and Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company. He fraudulently withdrew a total of $58,000 from the customers' accounts in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady Counties. Vargas perpetrated the same fraudulent scheme in Louisiana and Connecticut before coming to New York.

Vargas was arrested by the Saratoga Springs Police Department on July 13, 2022, after he unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw funds from a Saratoga National Bank branch, and has remained in federal custody since then.

United States District Judge Mae A. D'Agostino also ordered that Vargas pay restitution to the banks in the amount of $58,000 and serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.

HSI investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, Diplomatic Security Service, New York State Police, Bethlehem Police Department, North Greenbush Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, Saratoga County Sheriff's Office, Saratoga Springs Police Department and Scotia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O'Hanlon prosecuted this case.