20-03-2025
Fresno man faces charges for bank fraud and illegal re-entry into the US
( — Sergio Zacarias Lopez, a Mexican citizen residing in Fresno, was charged with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal re-entry, according to acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against the 57-year-old which was unsealed following his arrest Thursday.
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Lopez secured his accounting role by stealing and using a valid social security number along with other falsified employment documents to conceal his citizenship status, according to officials.
According to court documents, he abused this position as well as his controller position to defraud a family-run Fresno fruit wholesaler. Lopez wrote multiple company checks payable to 'cash' and then deposited them into his personal bank account through local ATMs.
Using signatory authority, he used other employees' signatures for the fraudulent checks, including one of the company's founders, embezzling more than $1 million before he was detected by one of the banks and fired by the company.
Lopez was previously removed from the United States in 2000 and hasn't been allowed to return.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fresno Police Department with Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee prosecuting the case.
Lopez faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted of bank fraud. If he's convicted of illegal re-entry or aggravated identity theft he would face two years in prison.
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