Essex County Man Charged in Multi-Person Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Stolen Checks

Federal prosecutors allege Isiah J. Jordan and accomplices stole and altered checks from the mail to deposit into controlled accounts, withdrawing funds before detection.

A 27-year-old Essex County resident has been charged with participating in a bank fraud conspiracy that involved stealing checks from the mail and illegally depositing them into accounts controlled by co-conspirators, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced on Wednesday.

Isiah J. Jordan faces two federal charges: one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark and was released on a $100,000 bond pending further proceedings.

According to court filings and statements made during the initial hearing, Jordan was involved in a scheme in which stolen checks were altered and deposited fraudulently. One cited incident from June 2023 involved a check exceeding $50,000, issued by an unidentified company. Jordan and his associates allegedly modified the check’s payee details to deposit it into a conspirator-controlled account. The funds were withdrawn in July 2023, and the proceeds were split among the participants.

The scheme allegedly expanded as Jordan and others recruited new participants, particularly individuals with longstanding bank accounts, to facilitate additional fraudulent deposits and quick cash withdrawals before banks or check issuers could detect the theft.

If convicted, Jordan faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $1 million for each charge.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Newark Field Office and the New Jersey State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith and Thomas S. Kearney are prosecuting the case.

The charges are based on allegations contained in the criminal complaint; Jordan is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.