| Case Summary: |
In October of 2006, Sarder Faruk came to the attention of the U.S. Secret Service, for committing check kiting fraud against multiple banks in the central Florida area. Faruk is known to open business accounts, mostly under gas station identities, and then use the bank issued checks to float between bank accounts and to systematically withdraw money from these accounts prior to the victim banks noticing that the worthless checks are either drawn off of accounts with insufficient funds or closed accounts. Faruk is also known to use worthless checks drawn off of these mentioned accounts to buy items at wholesale distributors. Faruk has caused more than $300,000 in loss to banks and merchants in the central Florida region.
On February 13, 2008, Faruk was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in the Middle District of Florida, Orlando, for 54 counts of 18 U.S.C. 1344, bank fraud. A federal arrest warrant was issued on the same date for these violations.
Faruk is also by the Orange County (FL) Sheriff's Office for grand theft and the Marion County (FL) Sheriff's Office for violation of probation. He has not been seen since early February 2008. Faruk is believed to be in the company of his girlfriend, Olesya A. Pognayeva, in the Orlando area.
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