Serial Bank Fraudster Sentenced To Over Sixteen Years In Prison

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced today that LAQUAN WILLIAMS, a/k/a "China Man" was sentenced yesterday afternoon to 200 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain for orchestrating a series of schemes to steal money from banks by sending imposters into bank branches to transfer money from victim bank accounts or to cash stolen U.S. Treasury checks. These schemes involved WILLIAMS's possession of over 1,000 stolen or counterfeit checks, his manufacturing of over 500 counterfeit state and federal identification cards, at least $1.8 million in losses to financial institutions, and possession of two loaded firearms. On September 4, 2025, WILLIAMS pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. WILLIAMS was previously sentenced to 64 months' imprisonment by U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl in May 2018 after participating in a similar bank fraud scheme, and WILLIAMS engaged in the charged conduct while on federal supervised release.

"Laquan Williams is a bank fraudster who has stolen millions of dollars from Americans by engaging in identity theft and bank fraud," said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. "For nearly two decades, Williams has been stealing money from innocent bank customers with forged checks, counterfeit identification cards, and stolen personal identifying information. Today's prison sentence protects New Yorkers and should be a reminder that we and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue serial fraudsters and hold them accountable."

According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements in public court proceedings:

Between 2021 and 2024, WILLIAMS orchestrated a series of schemes to steal money from banks by impersonating bank customers:

Scheme 1 (May 2023 - June 2023): Between May 2023 and June 2023, WILLIAMS sent co-conspirators into various banks located in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to impersonate various bank customers and deposit checks that would transfer money from the victims into bank accounts controlled by members of the scheme. One of the victims was a prominent former federal government official. The defendant attempted to impersonate this victim while calling a bank and attempted to transfer money between the victim's accounts, including by using the victim's social security number. Total intended losses related to this scheme included approximately $827,568.33, and actual losses were approximately $43,361.28.

Scheme 2 (September 2023 - November 2023): Between September 2023 and November 2023, WILLIAMS sent another co-conspirator into various banks in New Jersey and New York to impersonate the owners of various small businesses. The co-conspirator would request that the banks transfer funds from the victims' business bank accounts into new business bank accounts that were opened with very similar names and controlled by WILLIAMS. Once the money was transferred, WILLIAMS would withdraw the money as cash or transfer the money through CashApp. Total intended losses related to this scheme included approximately $218,123.22, and actual losses were approximately $87,761.08.

Scheme 3 (October 2021 - May 2024): Between October 2021 and May 2024, WILLIAMS participated in a scheme to steal money from the United States by depositing stolen U.S. Treasury checks into bank accounts controlled by the scheme. Members of the scheme recruited co-conspirators to impersonate the owners of the entities that were the payees on the stolen U.S. Treasury checks and to deposit the stolen checks into bank accounts that were controlled by members of the scheme and had been opened for the specific purpose of cashing the stolen treasury checks. For example, WILLIAMS participated in the depositing of a stolen U.S. treasury check in the amount of $13.9 million into a bank account that had been recently opened by members of the scheme at a bank branch in Massachusetts. Actual losses stemming from the scheme amount to at least $1,157,029.78, and the intended loss exceeded $30 million.

WILLIAMS's Arrest (May 23, 2024): On May 23, 2024, WILLIAMS was arrested, and law enforcement executed a search warrant for WILLIAMS's residence and vehicle. Law enforcement recovered, among other things: (1) approximately 27 seals and holograms for placement onto identification cards; (2) a hologram identification card press; (3) approximately 1,102 blank state identification cards; (4) approximately nine stolen U.S. Treasury checks totaling approximately $506,010.83; (5) approximately 1,015 additional stolen and/or altered checks totaling approximately $3.35 million; (6) approximately 571 counterfeit identification cards; (7) approximately 524 counterfeit credit or debit cards; (8) approximately 56 stolen credit cards; (9) approximately 478 pages of blank check stock; (10) multiple printers and laminators used for printing and embossing checks and identification cards; (11) a Glock 19 9mm semi-automatic pistol; (12) a LCP Ruger .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol; and (13) approximately 19 rounds of 9mm and .380 caliber ammunition, including approximately 13 hollow-point rounds of ammunition. Actual losses stemming from fraudulent transactions linked to this physical evidence was approximately $537,596.75.

WILLIAMS was on federal supervised release while participating in these crimes, after previously being sentenced to 64 months' imprisonment by U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl in May 2018 for participating in similar bank fraud schemes.

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In addition to the prison term, WILLIAMS, 42, of Florham Park, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit approximately $1.8 million, and ordered to pay restitution.

Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the United States Secret Service and the New York City Police Department.

This case is being handled by the Office's Violent Organizations & Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Allison and Andrew K. Chan are in charge of the prosecution.

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