BOSTON, Dec. 15, 2014— Five defendants were arraigned today following their indictments on charges that they took part in a nationwide scam to steal $700,000, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOHN BRISTOW (D.O.B. 3/13/73) of Dedham, MOLIJAH BUREY (D.O.B. 11/14/91) of Dorchester, TROY FERNANDEZ (D.O.B. 8/7/89) of Dorchester, RICARDO PETERSON (D.O.B. 8/22/80) of Roxbury, and MIGUEL BALAN (D.O.B. 4/4/93) of Revere were arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court on charges of receiving stolen goods over $250, larceny over $250, conspiracy, and money laundering.

Clerk Magistrate Anne Kaczmarek released Balan and Fernandes on their own recognizance and imposed $200 bail for Peterson, $1,000 for Burrey, and $25,000 for Bristow.  Bristow is currently serving an 18-month sentence followed by a two-month suspended sentence after he was convicted Dec. 5 of violating a restraining order, breaking and entering during the daytime, and malicious destruction of property.

Walsh told the court that each of the defendants took part in a scam that drained a home equity line of credit account held at a Washington state credit union in December 2012.  An unknown co-conspirator contacted the lending institution posing as a customer who held a home equity line of credit and requested wire transfers from that account into accounts recently opened by Peterson, Balan, and Bristow.  The transfers totaled $323,500.

According to prosecutors, Peterson had a negative balance in his bank account prior to Dec. 3, 2012, when he received a transfer of $68,500 from the victim’s account; he received a second transfer of $92,000 from the same victim’s account on Dec. 6.  He made 11 cash withdrawals at various Citizen’s Bank branches between Dec. 4 and Dec. 11, draining all of the transferred funds.

Balan opened a new account on Dec. 5 and received a $76,000 transfer six days later.  He made seven withdrawals over the course of two days, fully depleting the newly acquired account balance.

Bristow opened a bank account on Dec. 14 and received a transfer of $87,000 from the victim’s account on Dec. 17.  He made four large withdrawals in the following days and transferred $40,000 to Burey on Dec. 20 and $26,000 to Fernandez two days later, prosecutors said.  Burey and Fernandez, each of whom had newly opened bank accounts, likewise drained the accounts.

Three additional defendants charged with taking part in a similar scheme involving three different victims will be arraigned Thursday.  CHERYDA GRANT (D.O.B. 1/1/70) of Hyde Park, DAVID JOHNSON (D.O.B. 2/17/82) of Stoughton, and JOHN JOHNSON (D.O.B. 7/25/79) of Norwood face charges of receiving stolen goods over $250, larceny over $250, conspiracy, and money laundering.  Another co-defendant, DARIES HURT (D.O.B. 11/30/89) of Jamaica Plain, was arraigned last month on the same charges as well as three unrelated cases charging him with home invasion and drug offenses. Suffolk Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Gary Wilson ordered that he be held on $100,000 bail.

The nine co-defendants played a role in the theft of approximately $700,000, prosecutors said.  The identity of other individuals involved in this and other similar scams remains under investigation.

Bristow was represented by Stanley Helinski, Peterson by Daniel Solomon, Burey by Natalie Corvington, and Fernandes by Andrew Stockwell-Alpert.  Balan was represented by Solomon for bail purposes only and will appear with attorney Steven Hrones at his next court date.  Hurt is represented by Seamus O’Kelley.  All return to court Jan. 22.  Grant, David Johnson, and John Johnson will appear for arraignment Thursday in the Magistrate’s Session.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.