Mansfield Man Facing Racketeering Charge As Cops Break Up 'Bad Check' Ring: Warrant

MANSFIELD, CT — A Mansfield resident is facing a racketeering charge, among others, as part of the breakup of a bad check-cashing ring, state police said.

he case dates back to March 2023, when the Connecticut State Police Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force, in conjunction with the New Haven Police Department Financial Crimes Unit, initiated an investigation into complaints from numerous banks about a possible check fraud ring within Connecticut and their institutions, according to law enforcement records.

Detectives subsequently identified a group of individuals that was "conspiring together" in a check kiting scheme, which is a type of check fraud that involves passing bad checks between multiple accounts at various banks to withdraw funds made available by that institution before the check is returned for non-sufficient funds, according to law enforcement records.

The group was using a similar scheme to defraud online gambling platforms, state police said.

Detectives identified Eric J. Christian, 41, of Mansfield, as a suspect and determined that he was recruiting individuals to open accounts at multiple banks in order to facilitate the scheme, according to a warrant.

Records indicated that the activity had been occurring since at least 2020 and records show aggregate losses in excess of $350,000 and the actual losses are believed to be higher, according to a warrant.

On Tuesday, the Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force arrested Christian cvia a warrant at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institute in Suffield on several charges:

• A violation of the Corrupt Organizations and Racketeering Act
• Conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny
• Fraudulent use of an automated teller machine
• Illegal possession of a personal identification information device
• Issuing a bad check ($500 to $1,000)
• Conspiracy to commit third-degree identity theft
• Third-degree forgery

State police said xix of Christian's co-conspirators have been arrested by the task force and New Haven police during the course of this investigation and further arrests are anticipated.

Christian is being held on a $100,000 cash/surety bond and is scheduled to appear in New Haven Superior Court on May 22, records show.