An Arizona man walked into a Casper bank with a check for $540,000 made out to Habitat for Humanity.
By the time he left, federal investigators say, he had opened a business account in the nonprofit's name, deposited the stolen check and set in motion an attempt to move nearly every dollar into his own account.
More than three years later, Le'Andray Steven Thompson, 49, has been sentenced to 26 months and 16 days in federal prison for the scheme, which cost Wells Fargo more than $160,000.
Chief U.S. District Judge Kelly Rankin sentenced Thompson on Wednesday in Cheyenne to the prison term followed by three years of supervised release. He also ordered Thompson to pay $160,248.54 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
Thompson pleaded guilty to bank fraud after federal prosecutors charged him with opening a Wells Fargo business account in Casper in the name of a fictitious business and depositing the stolen $540,000 check on June 8, 2023.
A Check Goes Missing
The check began its journey in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
On May 22, 2023, the city controller there mailed it to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne, says an affidavit from U.S. Postal Inspector Andrew Gottfried.
It never arrived.
Investigators later learned the mail receptacle at Habitat for Humanity was broken into on the night of May 27 by unidentified people.
On June 15, Habitat's chief financial officer learned from Wells Fargo that the check it was waiting for was instead deposited, and the money was being held.
Habitat didn't even bank with Wells Fargo.
By then, the check had traveled roughly 1,200 miles west to Casper.
Fake Driver's License
Federal investigators say Thompson appeared at a Casper Wells Fargo on June 8, 2023, and opened a business checking account in the name of "Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne Inc."
He listed himself as the sole owner and "key executive with control of the entity."
To establish the business, Thompson presented purported articles of incorporation for the Habitat organization that listed a Colorado Springs, Colorado, address — they were dated that very day.
He then endorsed and deposited the stolen check into the newly created account, investigators allege.
For identification, Thompson produced an Indiana driver's license and listed a Phoenix, Arizona, residence.
There was a problem with that, too.
When Gottfried searched Indiana driving records using the name and license number Thompson provided to the bank, he found no record of it.
Investigators instead obtained Thompson's Arizona driver's license and compared its photograph with Wells Fargo surveillance footage of the man who opened the Casper account.
They matched, Gottfried wrote.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Thompson didn't let the money sit long.
The following day, June 9, bank records show an online transfer of $538,000 from the newly opened Habitat account into a personal Wells Fargo account belonging to Thompson.
He opened that account at a Wells Fargo branch in Glendale, Arizona, on May 24 — about two weeks before appearing in Casper.
The employment Thompson listed when opening it was considerably less exotic than the half-million-dollar transaction that followed.
He told Wells Fargo he worked for KFC.
Wells Fargo eventually discovered the fraud and managed to recover much of the money, but not all of it. The bank's loss was initially estimated by investigators at roughly $160,000.
Heart Of Wyoming
Although the stolen check belonged to the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Fort Wayne, its size is striking when measured against what Habitat does in the Wyoming community where Thompson deposited it.
Habitat for Humanity, The Heart of Wyoming is one of six Habitat affiliates serving the state. Executive Director Michael Deal's organization serves Natrona County and generally builds two or three homes each year.
Each costs the nonprofit between $160,000 and $220,000, depending on its size and location, Deal told Cowboy State Daily.
The amount Wells Fargo lost in Thompson's fraud was roughly equivalent to the low-end cost of putting up one Habitat home in Natrona County.
"When considering the full amount stolen, that could potentially cover the operations of our affiliate for the entire year," Deal said.
Before a Habitat family closes on its home, Deal said, the nonprofit bears the costs of acquiring the property, obtaining permits, buying construction materials and paying subcontractors — and even those figures leave something out.
"What those home costs don't cover are the time and labor from our wonderful volunteers," Deal said. "Our home costs stay affordable because we have a dedicated group of volunteers that consistently shows up to work on constructing homes for our new homeowners."
Those volunteers, he said, show up because they want to make their community better for families.
Watching For Fraud
Deal said fraud is a concern Habitat affiliates prepare for.
Employees who work with originating mortgages are required annually to complete Qualified Loan Origination training administered by Habitat for Humanity International, he said. That includes training on recognizing fraud and how to report suspected fraud to authorities.
The Casper affiliate also works closely with the Wyoming Community Development Authority when questions arise.
Deal said learning someone had used the Habitat name in a scheme of this size was nevertheless disturbing.
"It is incredibly unfortunate that this individual chose to steal from Habitat for Humanity as our organization works to make a better life for others," he said. "The work nonprofits do is essential for our communities, and it is a shame someone would try to take advantage of one."
Three Years Later
The federal case against Thompson did not arrive in Wyoming court until nearly three years after the check was deposited.
A criminal complaint and warrant were filed under seal March 20. The warrant was executed March 24, and Thompson initially appeared in federal court in Arizona before being ordered to appear in Wyoming.
The case was unsealed March 26. Thompson later waived his preliminary hearing.
Federal prosecutors filed an Information against him June 24, formally charging him with the bank fraud scheme.
That document distilled the crime into a few lines: Thompson knowingly attempted to obtain Wells Fargo's money through false representations "by opening a Wells Fargo business account in the name of a fictitious business and depositing a stolen check in the amount of $540,000."
Thompson subsequently pleaded guilty.
On Wednesday, Rankin imposed the 26-month-and-16-day sentence and ordered him to repay the Casper bank's loss in full.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
