YONKERS, NY / BRADFORD, PA — A New York man has been sentenced to prison for defrauding a Pennsylvania bank and is now wanted for a separate $810,000 tax refund scam in Massachusetts.
Steven K. Ware, 64, of Yonkers, was sentenced on June 12 in McKean County Court to 27 to 54 months in state prison. He was convicted of theft by deception, forgery, and identity theft related to a scheme involving fake IDs and alias bank accounts at Northwest Bank in Bradford, PA.
According to District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer, Ware and a female accomplice used fraudulent identities to deposit fake checks, then withdrew funds over several days. Surveillance and ID evidence confirmed Ware’s involvement, leading to his arrest in September 2024.
In a separate federal case, Ware is accused of opening fraudulent accounts in Massachusetts using a Connecticut investment firm’s name. Prosecutors allege he impersonated a company executive to cash a U.S. Treasury check worth $810,337.68, then spent and wired over $634,000 of the funds across multiple states.
He faces bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Case No. 1:24-cr-10304). Federal authorities say a plea deal has been offered, but Ware has yet to sign.
While Ware remains in state custody, his legal troubles continue to grow across state lines.
