A Florida woman faces up to five years in federal prison after admitting to her role in a conspiracy that drained more than $200,000 from a company’s bank account using altered and counterfeit checks.
Renee M. Thompson, 53, of North Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty in a Rochester, New York federal court before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
The charge, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of her plea agreement, Thompson also agreed to pay $28,500 in restitution.
Federal prosecutors stated that the scheme began in April 2023, when an unnamed victim company mailed a $12,914.11 check from the Western District of New York to a vendor in Florida. Thompson or a co-conspirator intercepted and stole the check, subsequently altering it to make it payable directly to Thompson. In July 2023, Thompson deposited the stolen funds into a TD Bank account under her name.
Following the initial theft, Thompson and her co-conspirators utilized the victim company’s routing number, bank account number, name, address, and signature to forge 16 additional checks. Between July 24 and August 15, 2023, the group deposited these counterfeit checks, successfully withdrawing $205,780.52 from the victim company’s account at C&N Bank.
Investigators also tied Thompson to a separate incident in June 2023, where she deposited two other counterfeit checks totaling $7,098 into a Truist Bank account in her name.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire is prosecuting the case. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Brendan Dunford, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, overseen by Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr.
Judge Geraci has scheduled Thompson’s sentencing for September 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
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