COLONIE, N.Y.– A credit union teller allegedly involved in a fraud ring now faces weapons charges after a search of her residence during the October investigation yielded an illegal handgun.
According to prosecutors, Caeshara Cannon, 32, of Colonie, N.Y., and a teller with SEFCU, has been arrested after Sheriff’s investigators and Bethlehem, N.Y. detectives executed a search warrant stemming from the fraud investigation. During the search, investigators found Cannon to be in possession of a .22 caliber handgun, SpotlightNews.com reported.
Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said investigators discovered the weapon had been defaced to remove the serial number and that Cannon did not have a permit to have a handgun. SpotlightNews.com said additional charges may be coming. Cannon has been released on her own recognizance.
Center of Fraud Ring
Prosecutors have also alleged that Cannon was also at the center of a fraud ring that initially involved more than $100,000 in fraudulent loans involving SEFCU members, SpotlightNews.com reported.
That case has now been turned over to the federal U.S. attorney’s office, given the nature of the alleged crimes. A number of alleged victims have stepped forward since the case was originally reported, SpotlightNews.com stated.
As CUToday.info has reported, SEFCU and CAPCOM credit unions are merging and in the process of rebranding as Broadview FCU.
In a statement to SpotlightNews.com, Ken Jubie, VP-communications and public relations, said, “After identifying the fraudulent activity at one of our branches, Broadview FCU’s dedicated team of financial crime professionals worked with law enforcement to address the issue.”
How Scheme Allegedly Worked
According to SpotlightNews.com, in her capacity as a Glenmont, N.Y. branch teller, Cannon allegedly accessed, stole and forwarded to at least three others in the ring, who then received the personal loans and withdrew money.
In October, the Slingerlands, N.Y. branch contacted police to report a man was attempting to use fraudulent identification to withdraw $20,000 from the credit union, SpotlightNews.com reported. Police arrested Davon Parson, 19, of Albany, from inside the credit union.
“At the same time, they stopped Evan Cutler, 23, of Menands, in the parking lot for driving without a license in an uninsured vehicle,” SpotlightNews.com reported. “Once the two were in custody, police said they started to piece together a larger scheme, with the assistance of SEFCU Fraud Prevention, that involved two additional people. Dnauticah Taylor-Sterman, 20, of Menands, had applied and received a loan a week before under a name she allegedly received from Cannon.”