Honduran National Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison For Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud
HAMMOND – Ricardo Castro Murillo, 34 years old, of Honduras, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in two cases, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Castro Murillo was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $533,043 in restitution. Castro Murillo has no legal status within the United States and will be subject to a separate and immediate removal process upon release from prison.
According to documents in each case, on January 11, 2023, Castro Murillo and his co-conspirators used fake identification cards to cash 169 fraudulent paychecks totaling $233,569 at three branches of the same bank in the Northern District of Indiana. The fraudulent paychecks were designed to look like they had been issued by a company that operates dairy farms in the Northern District of Indiana.
Almost six months later, on June 23, 2023, Castro Murillo and his co-conspirators used fake identification cards to cash 178 fraudulent paychecks totaling $299,474 at five branches of the same bank and three check cashing businesses in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The fraudulent paychecks were designed to look like they had been issued by a building materials supply company in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“Castro Murillo participated in a far-reaching conspiracy that caused major financial harm to community banks and small businesses across the United States. Due to the unwavering efforts and collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement, Castro Murillo was brought to justice for his role in this scheme,” said Proctor. “The sentence imposed by the court sends a message that there are real consequences for engaging in fraud, particularly in northwest Indiana.”
“The illicit actions of co-conspirators to commit bank fraud as they travel throughout the United States will not be tolerated,” said Matthew J. Scarpino, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago. “HSI will continue to partner with our fellow law enforcement agencies to disrupt these types of offenders and hold them accountable for their crimes.”
“Sophisticated fraud operations like this require investigative teamwork that spans state lines,” said Sergeant Jeremy Piers, Public Information Officer for the Indiana State Police. “From the first lead to the final arrest, our detectives, troopers, and support staff worked relentlessly alongside federal, state, and local partners to track the suspects’ movements, gather critical evidence, and bring this scheme to an end. This outcome reflects countless hours of coordination and determination, and it sends a clear message: when criminal activity crosses into Indiana, we will work tirelessly with our partners to protect our communities, our businesses, and our financial institutions.”
Co-conspirator Luis Banegas Rodriguez was previously sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in the scheme.
These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Indiana State Police, with valuable assistance provided by the Benton County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department, the Benton County (Indiana) Prosecutor’s Office, the Poteau (Oklahoma) Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Travis County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston (Texas) Police Department. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven J. Lupa from the Northern District of Indiana and Assistant United States Attorneys Kara Traster and Jordan Howanitz from the Eastern District of Oklahoma
