Piscataway Resident, Former Police And Sheriff's Officer, Stole Checks Out Of The Mail

PISCATAWAY, NJ — A former Essex County Sheriff’s officer and Orange Police officer who lives in Piscataway admitted to his role in a bank fraud conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Ryan Terry, 32, of Piscataway, pleaded guilty last Thursday, Sept. 11 before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas to an Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud.

Terry was a police officer with the Orange Police Department at the time he conspired to commit bank fraud. According to the criminal complaint against him, he was part of a multi-person operation that stole checks from the mail, deposited those checks into bank accounts controlled by the enterprise, and then withdrew the proceeds before the bank or the victims became aware of the illegal activity.

For example, in June 2023, Company-1 mailed out a business check for over $50,000. That check was stolen and thereafter the payee information was altered to enable it to be deposited into an account controlled by Terry and his co-conspirators. Then in July 2023, after the stolen check cleared, Terry and his co-conspirators withdrew the money from the account and split the proceeds.

Terry then continued to actively recruit other members to the conspiracy. Specifically, he recruited individuals who had long-standing bank accounts to continue the scheme of depositing stolen checks and withdrawing the funds before the bank or the victims of the stolen checks were aware of the fraud.

He will be sentenced Jan. 21 and is facing up to 30 years in prison.