ALBANY – A federal grand jury indicted five Capital District suspects on Thursday, Sept. 21, who were involved in a ring that defrauded a local credit union and its members.
According to the indictment, unsealed on Oct. 3, between February and October 2022 Allahson Allah (formerly known as Gwyn Cancer), 53, of Albany; Evan Cutler, 24, of Queensbury; Davon Parson, 20, of Troy; and Dnauticah Taylor-Sterman, 21, of Albany, conspired with a former teller at SEFCU Glenmont, Caeshara Cannon, 33, of Colonie, to steal the identities of credit union members and take out loans in the victims’ names.
Cannon pleaded guilty on Sept. 14 to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft prior to the indictment of the other four co-conspirators. She faces a sentence of 32 years in prison and must pay restitution of $77,200, according to the plea agreement. The agreement also says that the government cannot charge her with additional crimes related to this case.
In the indictment, Allah was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Cutler was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft. Parson was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft, and Taylor-Sterman was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The federal charges came after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York took over the case from the Bethlehem Police Department in December. The case unfolded after Bethlehem officers and detectives responded to a report of someone trying to cash fraudulent checks at the Slingerlands SEFCU branch in October 2022. Their investigation, with the help of Broadview Fraud Prevention, quickly found that it was not an isolated incident.
SEFCU and CAPcom announced a merger of the two local credit unions in June, to rebrand under a new name, Broadview Federal Credit Union. Branches at the time of the first incident displayed the SEFCU and CAPcom signage.
The Ring
In her capacity as a Glenmont branch teller, Cannon allegedly accessed, stole, and forwarded personal financial information of SEFCU members to at least four others in the ring, who then received the personal loans and withdrew money.
On Oct.13, employees at the SEFCU branch at 12 Vista Blvd. in Slingerlands called police to report a man was attempting to use fraudulent identification to withdraw $20,000 from the credit union. Police arrested Parson inside the credit union. At the same time, they stopped Cutler in the parking lot for driving without a license in an uninsured vehicle.
Once the two were in custody, police said they started to piece together a larger scheme, with the assistance of SEFCU Fraud Prevention, that involved two additional people. Taylor-Sterman had applied and received a loan a week before under a name she allegedly received from Cannon.
“The conspirators also obtained personal identifying information of other people, which they used to fraudulently obtain loans from SEFCU and then withdraw the proceeds in cash,” an Oct. 10 statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office said. “The conspirators used fake New York State driver’s licenses, with pictures of the conspirators but bearing the personal identifying information of others, during the loan application process.”
They then allegedly applied for and received approval for personal loans, receiving cash in the transactions. Police said the first of several transactions began when Parson and Cutler allegedly cashed a $9,000 check at the Glenmont branch in August and continued until the ring was broken in October.
The investigation timeline
• Aug. 13, 2022 – Parson and Cutler allegedly cash a $9,000 check at the SEFCU Glenmont branch against the funds of a SEFCU customer with information provided by branch employee Cannon.
• Sept. 21, 2022 – Cutler applies for and is approved for a fraudulent personal loan of $25,000 at SEFCU with the information of a male SEFCU customer received from Cannon using a fake NY driver’s license.
• Oct. 7, 2022 – Taylor-Sterman applies for and is approved for a $25,000 personal loan at a SEFCU branch with the information of a female SEFCU customer received from Cannon using a fake NY driver’s license. Taylor-Sterman withdrew $5,000 immediately from the new account and returned with her boyfriend, Cutler, to withdraw the remaining $20,000.
• Oct. 13, 2022 – Bethlehem police were called to the SEFCU Slingerlands branch to investigate Parsons attempting to withdraw $20,000 from the branch using a fake NY ID Card of another Male. Cutler, who was driving Parsons, was stopped trying to flee in a vehicle by police in the parking lot, gave officers a fake name because he had no license due to DWAI conviction. The vehicle also had no insurance.
Parsons and Cutler are arrested. Parsons has three outstanding warrants from Warren County.
• Oct. 14, 2022 – Bethlehem police interview Cannon and execute a search warrant at her residence. Police find a defaced and loaded handgun, cash and a large amount of concentrated cannabis and cannabis packaged for sale. She was arrested for the identity theft charges, but the Albany County Sheriff’s office is investigating the weapon and drug charges.
• Oct. 21, 2022 – More victims have come forward and further charges are expected. The total money stolen exceeded $100,000.
• Nov. 28, 2022 – Cannon is arrested on weapons charges.
• Nov. 30, 2022 – Bethlehem police report the case has been referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
• Sept. 14, 2023 – Cannon pleads guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
• Sept. 21, 2023 – Allah, Cutler, Devon and Taylor-Sterman are indicted by a federal grand jury.
The credit union said through a spokesman that it is continuing to monitor the situation.
“Maintaining the safety and security of our employees, members, and their assets is our top priority. We are cooperating with law enforcement to ensure this situation is resolved swiftly and justice is served,” Jubie said in October 2022.
Bethlehem police originally charged Cutler with felonies of grand larceny, identity theft, possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records, and misdemeanors of false impersonation, criminal impersonation, operating a motor vehicle without insurance, conspiracy, and aggravated unlicensed operation.
Parson was charged with felonies of grand larceny, identity theft, possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records, and misdemeanors of conspiracy and criminal impersonation. He was also wanted on three outstanding warrants from Warren County Sheriff’s office.
Taylor-Sterman was charged with felonies of grand larceny, identity theft, possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records, and misdemeanor criminal impersonation.
Cannon was charged with felonies of grand larceny, identity theft, possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records.
All four were arraigned in Bethlehem Town Court in October 2022 by Andrew Kirby and released on their own recognizance at that time. Parson was handed over to the Warren County Sheriff’s office.
During the investigation, Cannon was also arrested on Monday, Nov. 28, after Sheriff’s investigators and Bethlehem detectives executed a search warrant in October stemming from the fraud investigation. During the search, investigators found Cannon to be in possession of an illegal .22 caliber handgun.
According to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, investigators found the weapon was defaced to remove the serial number and Cannon did not have a permit to have a handgun. Further charges may be coming, he said.
In this incident, she was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, and one count of criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor. She was arraigned in Colonie Town Court and released on her own recognizance.
In the Federal case. Cannon was released under conditions to return for sentencing. While awaiting trial, Cutler and Parson were released and Allah and Taylor-Sterman are still in custody.
