A Buffalo man was sentenced to three to nine years in prison on Friday for committing multiple fraud schemes totaling more than $70,000, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
From April 2019 to November 2020, 28-year-old Buffalo resident Christian Johnson unlawfully received $52,340 in cash from various institutions, according to officials. He put forged checks into bank accounts he established for fictitious businesses and then took the funds before the checks were returned.
According to the district attorney’s office, Johnson also received $20,000 from an insurance company after being involved in an automobile accident in March 2020. He claimed that one of his fictitious enterprises employed him, and the incident caused him to lose his wages.
In March 2023, Johnson pleaded guilty to the following:
- one count of third-degree insurance fraud
- one count of first-degree identity theft
- three counts of third-degree grand larceny
- four counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument
- one count of first-degree scheme to defraud
Johnson agreed to pay $72,340 in restitution as part of his plea agreement. He has already paid $43,000 to the insurance company and banking institutions. During his sentencing, the judge ordered him to pay the remaining $29,340.
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