Gang Member Sentenced for Bank Fraud Conspiracy

PROVIDENCE – A Central Falls man described in court documents as being a member of a dangerous Providence street gang and a driver of violence within that group, who recently completed a term of incarceration on a federal firearms charge, was sentenced today for bank fraud conspiracy, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

Ryan DaCruz, 28, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of bank fraud conspiracy. He admitted to a federal judge that between February 2022 and May 2023, he opened bank accounts at four Rhode Island banks into which he deposited tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of checks that had been stolen from the U.S. Mail stream by confederates.

According to information presented to the court, the stolen checks, most of which were third party business checks, appeared to have been “washed” so that the payee names could be changed to Ryan DaCruz. The deposited funds were rapidly depleted through cash withdrawals and/or money transfers. As banks recognized the deposited items as fraudulent, banks closed the accounts. DaCruz would then open a new account at a different bank.  The intended loss to banks totaled approximately $46.000.

DaCruz completed a federal sentence imposed in January 2024 for being a felon in possession of a firearm while being detained on the current charge of bank fraud conspiracy. He was sentenced today on the bank fraud conspiracy charge by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to a term of incarceration of eighteen months to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John P. McAdams and Paul F. Daly, Jr.

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Providence Police Department.

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