Woman Who Posed as Dealer Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud
Trinity Antonetty has pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and faces up to 30 years in federal prison after claiming to be an auto dealer in an attempt to explain a flagged check, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
A Justice Department press release says the Boston woman conspired with Phalentz Vernot, who deposited fraudulently obtained cashier’s checks into an account controlled by Antonetty.
“When the bank froze another of the checks Vernot deposited into Antonetty’s account for suspected fraud, Antonetty called the bank and falsely claimed that she operated a high-end car dealer and that the funds were related to a luxury car,” the release states, in part.
Prosecutors note Vernot has already pled guilty in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that targeted banks in Massachusetts as well as Connecticut and Rhode Island. The release describes the investigations as “related” but does not implicate Antonetty in the earlier case.
Antonetty will be sentenced in August. Federal guidelines call for up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gained or lost, whichever is greater.
