Rodney Blake, 39, of Baltimore, Maryland, and Robert Morrisey, 32, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud and multiple counts of possessing forged securities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania announced today.
Blake received a sentence of 146 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, while Morrisey was sentenced to 85 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Both were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $329,632.96.
The two men orchestrated a fraudulent check scheme where they and their co-conspirators stole mail to acquire legitimate business checks. They then used these checks to create large quantities of forged checks drawn on the businesses’ accounts.
The forged checks were made payable to individuals, many of whom were homeless or struggling with addiction, whom Blake and Morrisey recruited to cash the checks in exchange for a small portion of the proceeds.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed evidence of the stolen checks, totaling $329,632.96, affecting around 25 businesses and organizations in the Pittsburgh area. Blake and Morrisey worked with co-conspirators Steven Baldwin and Tariiq Simmons, both of Baltimore, to execute the scheme. Baldwin and Simmons had already pleaded guilty and received sentences of 46 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Blake and Morrisey’s fraudulent actions caused significant financial damage to local businesses and individuals, with the court highlighting the devastating impact of their scheme.
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