Husband and wife from Brampton accused in $86K bank fraud

Police have charged a husband and wife in connection with a series of bank and identity frauds in Peel Region. (Peel Regional Police)

A married couple from Ontario has been charged after a string of bank and identify frauds occurred in Brampton and Mississauga.

Peel Regional Police say the husband and wife used various fraudulent identification to open personal and business bank accounts under false names. They allege they used birth certificates, credit carts, Ontario drivers’ licences and immigration documents.

The husband allegedly impersonated a legitimate bank client to set up new accounts, obtain debit cards, and withdraw money from several bank branches before the fraud was detected.

Police say his wife allegedly transferred all of the stolen money, a combined total of more than $86,000, into her own personal bank account.

Peel police say all victims were reimbursed by their financial instutitions.

Investigators executed a search warrant at a Brampton home on April 29, and arrested 43-year-old Donato Pento as a result. Pento has been charged seven offences, including failure to comply with release order and three counts of fraud over $5,000.

“Some of the alleged offences occured while Pento was already subject to court-ordered conditions prohibiting him from possession identification or banking documents that were not his own,” officials wrote in Monday’s news release.

Police arrested Pento’s wife, Neuza Tavarez, on May 6. The 43-year-old woman has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime.

The charges have not been tested in court.

Investigators believe there may be more victims that have not come forward yet and urge anyone with information to contact them or Crime Stoppers anonymously.