Buffalo man going to prison for scam on banks, insurance company

State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller has sentenced a Buffalo man to three to nine years in prison for scamming banks and an insurance company, Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced.

Christian D. Johnson, 28, also was ordered to pay full restitution of $72,340. Keane noted that he has paid back $43,000 so far.

Prosecutors said Johnson deposited forged checks totaling $52,340 into bank accounts he set up for phony businesses between April 2019 and November 2020, then took the money out of the banks before the checks came back.

According to prosecutors, Johnson also got $20,000 from an insurance company by claiming that he lost income from a job at one of his phony companies after a car crash in March 2020.

Johnson pleaded guilty in March 2023 to third-degree insurance fraud, first-degree theft, first-degree scheme to defraud, three counts of third-degree grand larceny and four counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, all felonies. He faced a maximum of 20 years in prison.

- Dale Anderson

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