ALBANY, NEW YORK — Antonio Vargas, a 58-year-old resident of the Bronx, New York, has pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino announced the plea.
Vargas admitted to using counterfeit U.S. passport cards and driver’s licenses to fraudulently withdraw a total of $58,000 from multiple bank accounts. These counterfeit documents featured his photo but bore the names and personal information of real customers from Trustco Bank, Pioneer Bank, Broadview Federal Credit Union, Adirondack Trust Bank, and Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company. The fraudulent withdrawals occurred in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady Counties in June and July 2022.
Vargas was arrested on July 13, 2022, by the Saratoga Springs Police Department following a failed attempt to withdraw funds from a Saratoga National Bank branch. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 16, 2024, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. Vargas faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million for the bank fraud conviction. The aggravated identity theft conviction mandates an additional 2-year prison term, served consecutively to any other sentence. Vargas may also be subject to up to 5 years of supervised release after imprisonment. The sentence will be determined based on the statutes violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other relevant factors.
