A 55-year-old New York man has been sentenced in federal court for bank fraud, using other people’s Social Security numbers and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced Thursday.
Mark Pignatello, of Yonkers, New York, was sentenced to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $20,893 in restitution by Judge Lance E. Walker. Pignatello pleaded guilty to the charges on April 24.
According to court records, over a three-day period in October 2018, Pignatello traveled across Maine and New Hampshire visiting branches of People’s United Bank at which he would pass or attempt to pass counterfeit checks that were made out to people other than Pignatello. Pignatello used the Social Security numbers, counterfeit driver’s licenses and other personal information of these individuals to impersonate them.
Pignatello was apprehended by Newport police outside of the Newport branch of People’s United Bank where his activity had been identified as fraudulent.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Bangor, Newport and Orono Police Departments investigated this case.
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