A 27-year-old man who stole and then altered a check in 2022, was recently arrested at Riker’s Island jail by Darien Police, the department announced.
Police gave this further account, including accusations not proven in court:
Darien P.D. arrest photo
Mohamed Fofana, 27, charged with multiple crimes, including identity theft, conspiracy and failure to appear in court.
A woman, apparently from Darien (police didn’t say), told police that on Oct. 25, 2022, the check she mailed out to her painter had been stolen and altered.
Mohamed Fofana of the Bronx deposited the check in a TD Bank branch, using a false identity. Fofana also fraudulently created a business entity, Prelude Painting LLC. (Police didn’t explain how the business was connected to the fraud or how they connected Fofana to the theft.)
Darien police recently found out that Fofana was being held at Riker’s Island in New York City. On Oct. 1, police took custody of Fofana and brought him to Darien to process his arrest.
He was charged with one count of first-degree identity theft and was initially held on a court-set bond, which he couldn’t post. The next morning, Oct. 2, he was taken to state Superior Court in Stamford.
As police were processing Fofana’s arrest, they discovered he was also wanted by Wilton police on a charge of failure to appear in court. At the request of that police department, Darien officers served Fofana the warrant, which carried a $10,000 bond.
Fofana has another Darien case in the Stamford court: According to the state Judicial Branch website, Fofana was arrested on April 13, 2018 on charges of third-degree identity theft and first-degree failure to appear in court (both felonies).
Other charges from that arrest (all misdemeanors) are sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy, third-degree criminal trespassing and resisting arrest/interfering with an officer.
His bond in that case was set at $50,000. On the first-degree identity theft charge, his bond is currently $105,000. He remains in jail.
Fofana pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court again on Nov. 17.