New York Woman Convicted of Bank Fraud and Forgery

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY RICHARD S. HARTUNIAN announced that KENITA HOKE was convicted late Friday, April 13, 2012, on charges of felony bank fraud and passing a forged United States treasury check. The convictions followed a four day jury trial before Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy in Albany, New York. HOKE, age 44, of Troy, New York, will be sentenced on August 14, 2012 in Albany. As a result of the convictions, HOKE faces a total maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment, supervised release of up to 5 years, and a maximum fine of up to $1,250,000.

Evidence presented during the trial showed that on September 24, 2009 HOKE knowingly deposited a forged United States treasury check, issued in the name of another person, in the amount of $10, 190.73, into a custodial account that she controlled at First Niagara Bank on Second Street in Troy, NY. HOKE then withdrew a total of $10,000 in cash from the account on September 28, 2009 at two different branches of First Niagara Bank. The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service and Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Albany, New York.https://oig-files.ssa.gov/audits/full/Press%20Release%20April%2016.pdf