$1.7M treasury check scheme unravels after shopping spree and bank trail
Mineola, NY — A Long Island man is accused of turning a nearly $1.7 million U.S. Treasury check into a personal spending spree before investigators tracked the money through bank accounts and blocked his final attempt to cash out.
Marc Lindor, 46, of Amityville, was arraigned April 16 on charges including first-degree grand larceny and criminal possession of a forged instrument after allegedly altering a Treasury check and depositing it into his business account.
Prosecutors said the check, originally issued to a Brooklyn home care agency for a COVID-related tax credit, was altered to list Lindor’s company as the payee. Surveillance video captured him allegedly handing the check to a bank teller in Valley Stream on May 21, 2024.
Authorities said the account had a negative balance at the time of the deposit. Over the following weeks, Lindor allegedly withdrew more than $470,000, including transfers of about $220,000 to other individuals and roughly $241,000 in cash and cashier’s checks.
Investigators also said he spent thousands on purchases including a BMW, electronics, hotel stays, and airfare within days.
The bank later closed the account and issued a check for approximately $1.23 million, but the U.S. Treasury flagged the original check as fraudulent and initiated a stop payment. Authorities said Lindor attempted to deposit the funds again at another bank, but the transaction was rejected.
Lindor was arrested in August and has pleaded not guilty. He was released under supervision and ordered to surrender his passport. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
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Key Points
- Man accused of stealing and altering nearly $1.7M Treasury check
- Hundreds of thousands allegedly spent and transferred to others
- Faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted
