CASPER - A 21-year-old Brooklyn, New York man pleaded not guilty in Natrona County District Court Tuesday for his part in an alleged three-person conspiracy to target Wyoming banks that police say initially netted the trio at least $12,500 from a Buffalo, Wyoming bank in April.
Anthony Reynolds appeared in the courtroom before Judge Kerri Johnson while his attorney, David Holmes of Gillette, appeared via video.
Johnson went over the charges against Reynolds that include conspiracy to commit forgery and conspiracy to commit theft from the trio’s attempt to get cash from the ANB Bank in Casper on April 3.
Reynolds told the judge that he understood the charges and penalties against him and plead not guilty.
Holmes asked the judge to reduce Reynolds bond from $85,000 cash to $50,000 cash or surety.
“He has an extremely limited criminal history and is studying to get his GED,” Holmes said. “He has a young child in Brooklyn.”
Holmes told the judge that his client was not involved with drugs and that his family in Brooklyn would ensure he returned for his court hearings. He also said the court could order some type of monitoring device for Reynolds.
Natrona County Assistant District Attorney Amanda Kirby argued that Reynolds was involved in a conspiracy that “affected several counties in Wyoming.”
“He rented the car and drove across the country,” she said. “Bond is appropriate.”
Johnson agreed with Kirby and kept bond where it was initially set.
“Mr. Reynolds has zero ties to Wyoming,” she said. “He fled Natrona County and fled to a county south of here.”
911 Call
Charges against Reynolds stem from a 911 call from Casper’s ANB Bank branch about 4:30 p.m. on April 3 about a woman attempting to obtain a $8,400 line of credit using a military ID of a female they did not believe was the person standing in front of them.
When police responded, they found Christine Fitzpatrick, 38, walking down a nearby alley toward a black Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback. When the officer initiated her lights, the hatchback took off.
Information about the vehicle shared with other state law enforcement resulted in Laramie County deputies spotting the car that contained Reynolds and John Stallworth, 45. The pair were initially arrested on drug possession charges and subsequently sent to Casper to face the Natrona County charges.
An affidavit in the case states that after stopping the Mitsubishi in the area of I-25 and I-80 it was found to have a Tennessee registration.
“During the course of their investigation, Laramie County Sheriff’s Office located numerous receipts, four cell phones, and “thousands of dollars in cash in a Dorito’s bag,” the affidavit states.
Fitzpatrick told authorities that she was a crack cocaine addict and that Stallworth was her boyfriend.
Casper police reported that in addition to a fraudulent U.S. Army ID, Fitzpatrick carried a fraudulent U.S. passport. Both had the same name on the IDs and displayed Fitzpatrick’s photo.
“(Fitzpatrick) stated that during her three days in Wyoming she committed several line-of-credit withdrawals from numerous banks in the state,” the affidavit states. “Two days prior to to this incident, she made three successful withdrawals in the amount of $8,400 at unknown banks.”
Successful In Buffalo
Fitzpatrick told police she had two unsuccessful attempts at other banks in the state on April 2 but had been able to successfully withdraw $12,500 from the ANB Bank in Buffalo.
The woman also told police she did not know what city she was in but knew she was in the state of Wyoming and that she knew the IDs she possessed were fraudulent.
Fitzpatrick also told police she had been instructed to leave all her identifying information in New York.
A phone seized from Fitzpatrick contained information on the name of the person on the passport and U.S. Army ID.
The Washakie Sheriff’s Office contacted Casper police about an identity theft case involving the name of the woman on the IDs carried by Fitzpatrick, the affidavit states.
The Buffalo Police Department confirmed to a Casper investigator the theft of $12,500 from the Buffalo ANB Bank branch.
Fitzpatrick plead not guilty to the charges against her on May 12 and remains in jail. Stallworth is in jail and set for arraignment on July 8.
Both the conspiracy to commit forgery and theft charges against Reynolds carry potential penalties of 10 years in prison and $10,000 fines.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
