Gary Man Charged With Mail Fraud & Attempted Bank Fraud
Da’Ione Fields, 23 of Gary, Indiana, was charged by way of an Indictment with two counts of mail fraud and one count of attempted bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. Fields Diverted Approximately $280,000 Away From A Senior Living Facility.
“Seniors are some of our more vulnerable citizens. Those in senior care facilities are dependent upon the care they receive there for their well-being,” said United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. “The alleged theft from a facility like this can have a severe negative impact on the residents in the facilities’ care. Theft results in diminished resources that should be available for the residents’ care and well-being. My Office is committed to protecting vulnerable seniors and working with our investigative agencies to investigate and prosecute those who steal from their employers.”
According to documents in the case, while working as a contract security guard for a senior living facility in Munster, Indiana, it is alleged that from October 18, 2019 to about December 3, 2019, Mr. Fields engaged in a scheme to defraud the facility of more than $280,000. The Indictment alleges that on two occasions Fields completed a USPS Change of Address form to redirect the facility’s mail to Fields’ residential address in Gary, Indiana. Between October 18 and November 22, 2019, Mr. Fields cashed approximately 31 insurance reimbursement and other checks payable to the facility totaling over $220,000. On November 21, 2019, Mr. Fields opened a corporate account at a bank in Gary, misrepresenting himself as an authorized representative of the facility and depositing 6 more checks totaling over $60,000.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Berkowitz and Abizer Zanzi.
