Quebec Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme That Sold Stolen Bank Account Numbers and Turned Them Into Fake Checks

Published Oct. 29, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

You don't have to lose your checkbook to become a victim of check fraud. Your bank account number alone can be enough. In a case in federal court in Buffalo, prosecutors say strangers' account numbers were traded by email, sold online, and printed onto fraudulent checks deposited into accounts for a business that existed only on paper.

John Shestowsky, 51, of Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr., the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York announced on Oct. 27, 2026 [1]. Charges remain pending against co-defendant James Rasmussen.

Important: Shestowsky has pleaded guilty and has not been sentenced. Rasmussen has not been convicted; the charges against him are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

How the scheme worked, according to prosecutors

Shestowsky has admitted his role by pleading guilty. Everything below that describes Rasmussen's conduct is an allegation that has not been proven in court.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, between April 2018 and July 2020, Shestowsky and Rasmussen conspired with others to defraud financial institutions [1]:

1. Trading personal data. Shestowsky emailed Rasmussen personal information, including bank account numbers, of various people without their knowledge or permission.
2. The "10k clients" list. On April 5, 2018, Shestowsky emailed Rasmussen a list titled "10k clients" with eight people's addresses, phone numbers, bank names, account numbers, and a note of a dollar amount in each account.
3. Selling the numbers. Rasmussen allegedly sold people's personal information online for profit, including information from Shestowsky. Between June 2019 and Jan. 4, 2020, for example, he allegedly sold about 52 M&T Bank account numbers without the account owners' knowledge.
4. A paper company. Rasmussen allegedly incorporated a fictitious business, "First America Solutions Corp.," in New York and opened accounts in its name at JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.
5. The fake checks. Using unauthorized account numbers belonging to real people, prosecutors say the two caused fraudulent checks payable to First America Solutions Corp. to be deposited:
   • 24 checks into the Chase account, March 10–26, 2020, using the account numbers of 24 people;
   • 18 checks into the Bank of America account, March 11–16, 2020, using the account numbers of 18 people;
   • 47 checks into the Wells Fargo account, March 16 to May 6, 2020, using the account numbers of 47 people, including a victim in Wayne County, New York.

The release does not give a total dollar loss.

The people charged and their status

John Shestowsky, 51, of Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada [1]

• Plea: Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
• Sentencing: To be scheduled at a later date.

James Rasmussen [1]

• Status: Charges remain pending. The release does not give his age, hometown or the specific charges (status pending). He is presumed innocent.

The FBI investigated, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno is prosecuting [1].

How account numbers end up on fake checks

Your account and routing numbers are printed on every check you write, so they pass through many hands. Criminals can also get them from data breaches, stolen mail or phishing. With those numbers, a fraudster can print checks that draw on your account, or that look like they do, and deposit them somewhere else. Because banks may not catch the problem until the check is returned, the money can be withdrawn before anyone notices.

Red flags

These are general warning signs of this kind of scheme; not every one is alleged in this case.

• Checks clearing that you didn't write, especially payable to a business you've never heard of.
• Calls, texts or emails asking you to "verify" your account number.
• Your bank warning of returned or suspicious items.
• Unexpected small test transactions on your account.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Review your bank statements and check images regularly, or set up alerts for every check that clears.
2. Report unauthorized checks to your bank immediately. Prompt reporting matters for getting your money back.
3. Ask about positive pay or check-blocking services if you rarely write checks.
4. Never share account numbers with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.
5. Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov and fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you believe your information was sold online, you can also report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.

Case status (as of Oct. 29, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
John Shestowsky, 51, Greenfield Park, Quebec	U.S. District Court, Western District of New York	Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud; sentencing to be scheduled	[1]
James Rasmussen	Same	Charges pending; presumed innocent	[1]

Statuses can change.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York, "Canadian man pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his role in fraud scheme," Oct. 27, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/canadian-man-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-commit-bank-fraud-his-role-fraud-scheme

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