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NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GREGORY JOSEPH HERNANDEZ, age 67, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

According to court documents, HERNANDEZ stole checks from the mail and altered the information on the stolen checks to include his name or the name of a co-conspirator.  On two instances, HERNANDEZ was captured on surveillance video rifling through a company’s mailbox in New Orleans and stealing pieces of mail.  HERNANDEZ and his co-conspirators then deposited and cashed the altered checks at financial institutions in the New Orleans area.  Through this scheme, HERNANDEZ caused an intended loss of approximately $56,946.88 to financial institutions.

U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced HERNANDEZ to serve 33 months in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release.  HERNANDEZ was ordered to pay restitution to the First Horizon Bank in the amount of $31,426.21.  Judge Barbier also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the New Orleans Police Department in this investigation.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.