New York Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Attempted Bank Fraud

A Bronx, N.Y., man, John Sapienza, 60, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 38 months in prison, for aggravated identity theft and attempted bank fraud.

According to his plea agreement, from January 6 through January 11, 2023, Sapienza and Tyshawn Wilson, his co-defendant, travelled to multiple bank locations between New York and Kentucky, attempting to withdraw money from customer accounts. They used counterfeit identifications that bore Sapienza’s photograph, but with the identifying information of the account holder. Wilson aided and abetted Sapienza by driving him to and from bank locations to execute the identity theft and fraud scheme. On January 11, 2023, Sapienza and Wilson were arrested by officers with the Fort Thomas Police Department, after attempting to execute the scheme at multiple bank locations within the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Wilson was sentenced on March 14, 2023 and he received 44 months in prison.

Under federal law, Sapienza and Wilson must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, they will each be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Casey Kilgore, Fort Thomas Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Fort Thomas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.