A Guilford bank thought it was cashing payroll checks for a local restaurant but the thousands of dollars of checks were fake, police said. And there might have been more phony checks where these came from.
New Alliance Bank, 1021 Boston Post Road, filed a complaint with Guilford police on Aug. 22, reporting that it was the victim of a fraudulent payroll check-cashing scheme.
After an investigation, using bank surveillance video, police nabbed the person they said might be the leader of a group working to cash fake checks.
Guilford police arrested Fausto Visciano, 23, of New Haven, Wednesday morning. Police think he is one of the perpetrators. Visciano has many false names and identification papers, police said.
The counterfeit checks were so high-quality that the New Alliance Bank cashed $7,000 before police made an arrest, police said.
Guilford police are now working with detectives from other departments and the Connecticut State police and expect more arrests in the case.
Visciano is being held on $350,000 bond. He's been charged with criminal impersonation, two counts of third-degree forgery, larceny in the second degree and conspiracy to commit larceny.
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He is scheduled to appear in court in New Haven on Wednesday.
