Bank fraud scheme leads to 37-month prison sentence for Honduran man

HAMMOND — A Honduran man has been sentenced to 37 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Ricardo Castro Murillo, 34, faced charges related to cashing fraudulent paychecks at multiple bank branches in Indiana and Oklahoma.

Prosecutors said Murillo and others used fake IDs to cash 169 fake checks totaling $233,569 at three bank branches in Northern Indiana in January 2023. They cashed 178 fraudulent checks totaling $299,474 six months later at banks and check-cashing businesses in Eastern Oklahoma.

The fraudulent checks were designed to look like they had been issued by a company that operates dairy farms in Indiana, and a building materials supply company in Oklahoma, officials said.

U.S. Attorney M. Scott Proctor said the scheme caused significant financial harm.

"The sentence imposed by the court sends a message that there are real consequences for engaging in fraud," Proctor said.

Murillo — who is not a U.S. citizen — will face deportation after serving his sentence. Co-conspirator Luis Banegas Rodriguez received a 27-month prison sentence for his involvement.

The investigation involved multiple agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Secret Service and the Indiana State Police.

This article was prepared with the help of AI technology using information collected and verified by journalists.

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