Canadian Man Pleads Guilty in Buffalo: Sold Stolen Bank Account Information Used in 89 Fraudulent Checks, Faces Up to 30 Years
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York announced on October 27, 2026, that John Shestowsky, 51, of Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. in Buffalo, New York, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Buffalo is in Erie County, New York.
Between April 2018 and July 2020, Shestowsky and co-defendant James Rasmussen conspired with others to defraud financial institutions by false and fraudulent pretenses. On April 5, 2018, Shestowsky emailed Rasmussen a listing of eight individuals, titled '10k clients,' with their addresses, phone numbers, and, for each individual, a bank name, bank account number, and a note indicating a dollar amount in the bank account, all without the individuals' knowledge or permission.
Rasmussen sold individuals' personal information, including information he received from Shestowsky, on the internet for a profit. Between June 2019 and January 4, 2020, he sold approximately 52 M&T Bank account numbers online without the knowledge or permission of the account owners. Rasmussen also incorporated a fictitious business, First America Solutions Corp., in New York State and opened bank accounts in its name at JP Morgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo Bank.
Between March 10 and March 26, 2020, the two caused 24 fraudulent checks payable to First America Solutions Corp. to be deposited into the Chase account; between March 11 and March 16, 2020, 18 fraudulent checks went into the Bank of America account; and between March 16 and May 6, 2020, 47 fraudulent checks went into the Wells Fargo account, a total of 89 fraudulent checks drawn on the unauthorized bank account numbers of 89 individuals, including a victim in Wayne County in the Western District of New York.
Charges remain pending against Rasmussen. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sentencing for Shestowsky will be scheduled at a later date.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约州 Buffalo 的伊利运河港（资料图）。图片来源：Fortunate4now 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC0。Photo: Erie Canal Harbor in Buffalo, New York (illustrative). Credit: Fortunate4now, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
