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Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Ten Felony Charges for Schemes to Defraud Banks and Car Insurance Company

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 25-year-old Christian D. Johnson of Buffalo pleaded guilty this morning before State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller to the highest sustainable charges in the indictment against him. Today, Johnson pleaded guilty to the following offenses:

  • One count of Insurance Fraud in the Third Degree (Class “D” felony)
  • One count of Identity Theft in the First Degree (Class “D” felony)
  • Three counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (Class “D” felonies)
  • Four counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree (Class “D” felonies)
  • One count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (Class “E” felony)

Between April 2019 and November 2020, the defendant fraudulently obtained $52,340.00 in cash from various banks. The defendant committed the crime by depositing forged checks into bank accounts, which he created for fictitious businesses, then withdrew the funds before the checks were returned. The defendant also fraudulently obtained an additional $20,000.00 from an insurance company after he was involved in a car accident in March 2020. The defendant claimed that he lost wages, while employed by one of the phony businesses, as a result of the crash.  

As part of the plea, Johnson signed Confessions of Judgment to pay full restitution of $72,340.00 to the insurance company and banking institutions.

Johnson faces a maximum of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Friday, June 9, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. The defendant, who is currently in federal custody, remains held on $1 bail.

DA Flynn commends Detective Daniel Brinkerhoff of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office for his work in this investigation.  

The case was prosecuted by Chief Gary M. Ertel of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions (SIP) Unit.

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