Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Bank Fraud Ring

BOSTON - A Massachusetts woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to defraud a bank in Massachusetts.

Trinity Antonetty, 24, of Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. U.S. District Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Aug. 18, 2026.

Between July and October 2024, Antonetty opened a business bank account and allowed Phalentz Vernot to deposit fraudulently obtained cashier's checks into the account. Antonetty used funds from one of the checks Vernot deposited into her account to purchase a cashier's check payable to a shell company Vernot controlled. When the bank froze another of the checks Vernot deposited into Antonetty's account for suspected fraud, Antonetty called the bank and falsely claimed that she operated a high-end car dealer and that the funds were related to a luxury car.

In July 2025, Vernot and five other men were charged as part of a related investigation into a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud banks in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Vernot pled guilty on Dec. 17, 2025. Earlier this month, two additional people were charged for their roles in the scheme.

The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and P.J. O'Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Connecticut State Police, the Glocester (RI) Police Department, the Sutton Police Department, the Concord (MA) Police Department, the Dracut Police Department, the Westwood Police Department and the Abington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.