WORCESTER, Mass. - A 28-year-old Worcester man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to using two victims’ identities to open bank accounts and attempting to purchase an $83,000 Chevrolet Camaro.
Brandon Brouillard pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 13. Brouillard was indicted in June 2021.
Brouillard faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million for the charge of bank fraud. Additionally, the charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
Here’s a timeline of Brouillard’s fraudulent activity:
- February 2021:
Brouillard uses the identity of a New Hampshire resident to open a bank account at Avidia Bank and wires $108,000 to the account from another individual’s Bank of America account.
Fraudulently obtains a New Hampshire driver’s license in the name of a New Hampshire resident, which he used to try to get a car loan from Capital One.
- April 17, 2021:
Brouillard agrees to purchase a 2021 Chevrolet Camaro for $83,000 at a Norwood dealership and pays for the vehicle with a cashier’s check made out to the dealership. He provides his Massachusetts driver’s license, proof of insurance, signed sales contract, application for registration and car title.
- April 19, 2021:
Brouillard picks up the Camaro from the dealership.
A few days later, the dealership learned that the account listed on the bank check provided by Brouillard was frozen. The dealership contacted Brouillard, who promised that he would wire $83,000 to pay for the car.
- April 26, 2021:
An Arizona resident contacts local police and reports an attempted fraudulent wire transfer of $83,000 from the victim’s bank account. The victim reported that a fraudulent email purportedly from the victim was sent to the bank, requesting a wire transfer of $83,000 to pay for the victim’s “brother-in-law’s car.”
The bank contacts the victim for verification, and the victim did not approve the transfer.
Starting in or about September 2020, the victim’s accounts were compromised, and large fraudulent purchases were made and shipped to Brouillard’s address. It is estimated that approximately $500,000 of the victim’s funds were stolen.