United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today, May 23, 2006, that Robert Ford, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.
Ford, age 57, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Alan Bloch.
In connection with the guilty plea, Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway advised the court that Ford participated in a scheme in which an individual manufactured counterfeit checks and provided false identification cards to several individuals, who then passed the counterfeit checks at various financial institutions and retail establishments, using the false identification cards. Ford was one of the individuals that passed the counterfeit checks using the false identification cards.
Judge Bloch scheduled sentencing for August 17, 2006. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 32 years in prison, a fine of $1,250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Financial Crimes Task Force of Southwestern Pennsylvania conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ford. The Financial Crimes Task Force of Southwestern Pennsylvania is comprised of United States Postal Inspectors, Special Agents of the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Investigators from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, and Detectives from the Allegheny County Police.
