Man sentenced in San Diego for impersonating bank employee in fraud scheme

City News Service
Posted

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A man who posed as a bank employee and stole money from multiple victims by claiming their banks were investigating fraud connected to their accounts was sentenced in San Diego federal court today to three years in prison.

Albert Guerra was also ordered Thursday to pay restitution of $ 251,300 to the victims, plus a $50,000 fine, in connection with his guilty pleas earlier this year to federal bank fraud and money laundering charges.

Prosecutors say Guerra held himself out as a representative of the victims' banks, then convinced them to withdraw cash and deliver it to him.

One victim was told that there was a recent fraud attempt on his bank account and that he should withdraw the money so that his funds could be
"safeguarded," according to a criminal complaint filed against Guerra.

Though prosecutors say many of the victims defrauded throughout the scheme were elderly, the criminal complaint identifies three victims in San
Diego County ranging in age from 22 to 28 years old. The San Diego County victims lost an estimated total of $136,300 over the course of one week,
prosecutors said.

After the victims collected their cash, Guerra instructed them to hand over the money to supposed bank employees who were actually ride-share
drivers. Prosecutors say Guerra told the drivers that they were picking up
"documents" from relatives of his, but the relatives were actually the victims.

Shortly after the San Diego-area victims were defrauded, the U.S.
Attorney's Office said Guerra bought a Tesla Model 3 with a $24,000 cash payment. He then went on to defraud a victim in Portland, Oregon, out of
$40,000, prosecutors said.