Crime

Former Jewelry Store Manager Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

CrimeFeb 21, 2018

Former Jewelry Store Manager Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

He directed his staff to accept counterfeit credit cards for jewelry purchases at his Florida store, leading to almost $400,000 in losses in 2010 and 2011.


Fort Pierce, Florida--A former Florida jewelry store manager has pleaded guilty to bank fraud.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Frank Dunkow, 52, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to one count of bank fraud involving the repeated sales of jewelry to individuals using counterfeit credit cards.

Dunkow was the store manager at Littman Jewelers in the Wellington Mall in Wellington, Florida.

The release states that, according to court records, he directed his employees to accept counterfeit credit cards used by individuals on a number of occasions to buy expensive pieces of jewelry.

The first credit card given by co-conspirators often was declined. The buyers then would give a second, third or more until the charge was processed, despite the cards being fake.

Dunkow and his staff processed a number of such sales between June 2010 and March 2011, leading to just under $400,000 in financial losses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

He faces a maximum of 30 years imprisonment and up to $1 million in fines at sentencing.
Brecken Branstratoris the senior editor, gemstones at National Jeweler, covering sourcing, pricing and other developments in the colored stone sector.

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