By: Richard L. Smith
A Mount Laurel man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in an extensive bank fraud and identity theft operation that targeted financial institutions across South Jersey and beyond.
Federal authorities announced that Kharon Parson-Wright, 28, of Mount Laurel, entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court filings and statements made during the proceedings, Parson-Wright was part of a coordinated scheme involving multiple co-conspirators, including Yasmene Johnson and Dante Ford, that relied on stolen U.S. mail and fraudulent banking instruments to illegally obtain large sums of money.
Investigators say members of the conspiracy stole mail from blue U.S. Postal Service collection boxes, targeting checks that were later altered or counterfeited.
In many cases, the checks were modified to increase their dollar amounts and change the listed payees to members of the conspiracy or individuals recruited to assist in cashing them.
Parson-Wright admitted that he and others negotiated the fraudulent checks at banks before financial institutions could detect the activity.
Authorities say the operation spanned multiple banks throughout southern New Jersey and other locations, with some checks written for tens of thousands of dollars.
In a separate aspect of the scheme, Parson-Wright helped connect a co-conspirator with a bank employee who issued fraudulent debit cards using the identities of unsuspecting account holders.
Those cards were then used to make purchases and withdraw cash at ATMs throughout New Jersey.
Federal prosecutors stated that the conspiracy caused actual financial losses exceeding $424,000, with intended losses estimated at more than $1.5 million.
The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison, along with substantial financial penalties. The aggravated identity theft charge includes a mandatory two-year prison sentence that must be served consecutively to any other term of incarceration.
Parson-Wright is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2026.
Authorities noted that Yasmene Johnson has already pleaded guilty to the same charges and is awaiting sentencing in March 2026.
Several other defendants connected to the scheme were sentenced earlier this year, including Dante Ford, who received 27 months in prison, along with Donovan Bunch, Tracy Felder-Carter, and Quamell Keyes-Griffin, who each received federal prison terms ranging from 18 to 33 months.
Federal officials emphasized that the investigation remains a reminder of the serious consequences tied to financial fraud and identity theft crimes.