ALBANY, NEW YORK — Two New York City women have pleaded guilty to their roles in a bank fraud conspiracy that targeted credit unions across the United States, U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman announced Friday. The conspiracy, active since at least December 2021, involved fraudulent withdrawals from credit unions, resulting in nearly $500,000 in losses.

Lesley Lucchese, 54, of Manhattan, and Danielle Cappetti, 45, of the Bronx, admitted to participating in the scheme, which exploited the shared branching network of credit unions. This network allowed customers to access their accounts at other member credit unions by presenting identification, account numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. The conspirators created fake IDs with the names of real customers but with photographs of individuals like Lucchese and Cappetti, who made the fraudulent withdrawals.

“Lucchese and Cappetti acted as runners for the conspiracy, conducting fraudulent transactions at credit unions across the country in exchange for drugs or a small portion of the stolen funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the FBI’s Albany Field Office. The majority of the nearly $500,000 obtained by Lucchese and Cappetti was funneled to higher-ups in the conspiracy.

Lucchese, who pleaded guilty on Friday, is scheduled for sentencing on December 17, while Cappetti, who pleaded guilty on August 5, will be sentenced on December 5. Both face up to 30 years in prison, a term of supervised release of up to five years, and fines up to $1 million. They will also be required to pay restitution to their victims, and Lucchese has agreed to forfeit $9,512.67 in cash seized during her arrest in Florida in October 2022.

The guilty pleas by Lucchese and Cappetti resolve their charges in a federal indictment returned in December 2023, which alleges over $1 million in total losses. Five defendants have now pleaded guilty in connection with the indictment, including Gaysha Kennedy, 45, of Brooklyn; Victor Barriera, 63, of the Bronx; and Jerjuan Joyner, 49, of Brooklyn.

The remaining defendants, including Oluwaseun Adekoya, 38, of New Jersey, David Daniyan, 59, of Brooklyn, and Akeem Balogun, 53, of Brooklyn, face charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. These charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia G. Suarez.

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