A Hudson County man was arrested this morning for unlawfully using victims’ personal identification information to steal over $1 million, federal officials announced.
According to federal officials, Marc Lazarre, 37, of Secaucus, is charged by complaint with one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From September 2021 through October 2022, Lazarre executed a scheme to enrich himself by using unlawfully obtained bank account and personal identity information to open accounts in victims’ names without their knowledge.
Federal officials say, Lazarre caused the transfer of funds from the victims’ actual financial accounts to the accounts he opened and then withdrew the funds.
According to court documents, Lazarre also unlawfully obtained checks made out to victims, used fraudulent identification documents to open accounts in names almost identical to the victims’ names, and then cashed the unlawfully obtained checks.
Court documents say, Lazarre caused more than $1 million in actual losses.
The bank fraud count is punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison.
The aggravated identity theft count carries an additional mandatory minimum of two years in prison.
Both counts have a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.