A Brooklyn man has been charged in Connecticut in an $89,000 bank-fraud case involving a Westport resident’s account.
John L. Hammonds, 38, faces first-degree larceny and third-degree identity theft charges, according to CT Insider, citing the Westport Police Department.
The case began with a January 2025 fraud report and later led to Hammonds’ extradition from New Jersey. Connecticut court records show the Stamford case remains pending.
Police Say the $89,000 Transfer Was Made in Person
Westport police said the victim’s bank alerted him that someone had made an unauthorized in-person wire transfer from one of his accounts to an account unaffiliated with him.
Investigators allege Hammonds conducted the transaction at an M&T Bank branch in New York while representing himself as the victim. The transfer totaled $89,000.
New Jersey Custody Led to Hammonds’ Extradition
After detectives identified Hammonds during the investigation, Westport police obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Police said the department learned on Aug. 20 that Hammonds had been taken into custody in New Jersey on unrelated charges. He was subsequently extradited to Connecticut. The Connecticut court record lists Sept. 28 as the arrest date in the Westport case.
Connecticut Court Record Lists Two Felony Charges
The Connecticut Judicial Branch lists Hammonds’ case as docket S01S-CR26-0264023-S in Stamford GA 1. The case is pending, and the court record lists its current activity as awaiting plea.
The court lists third-degree identity theft under Connecticut General Statutes §53a-129d as a Class D felony and first-degree larceny under §53a-122 as a Class B felony. Both counts carry an offense date of Jan. 28, 2025.
The Judicial Branch lists a $70,000 bond for the case. Hammonds’ next scheduled court appearance is Nov. 9 at 9 a.m.
Unrecognized Transfers Can Be a Sign of Identity Theft
The Federal Trade Commission defines identity theft as someone using another person’s personal or financial information without permission. The agency says withdrawals a consumer does not recognize on a bank statement can be a sign of identity theft.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises consumers who discover an unauthorized transaction or missing money to notify their bank or credit union promptly. The protections that apply can depend on the type of transaction involved.
Consumers whose personal information has been misused can also report identity theft through the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov service and receive recovery steps based on the type of identity theft reported.