A significant bank fraud scheme with strong Florida roots has been dismantled by federal investigators after a thorough investigation. U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 19 Polk County citizens with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. The investigation, which was conducted in collaboration with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, exposed a complex financial scheme that could have an impact on numerous businesses and towns throughout the Middle District of Florida.
In the Justice Department’s opinion, the defendants are members of a dangerous street gang called the “Trap Boys.” After being singled out for their role in a series of shootings, the gang was later found to be at the core of a sophisticated bank fraud scheme that ran from July 2021 to November 2023. The indictment describes the defendants’ alleged scheme to defraud nearly two dozen banks and more than 200 victims, including organizations as diverse as public school districts, insurance companies, and law firms, by stealing checks from people and businesses and using check writing software to create fake financial documents.
According to the indictment, the conspiracy members used automated systems and online databases to get the banking information of their victims in order to carry out their unlawful actions. Then, this data—which included account balances and transaction histories—was altered to deposit fictitious checks at several banking institutions. Since the law aims to cut off the financial lifeblood that keeps these illegal businesses afloat, assets acquired via these operations may be forfeited by the US.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which concentrates its intelligence-driven operations on dismantling elite criminal groups that threaten national security, is involved in the investigation that resulted in these arrests. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, the case highlights how criminal syndicates have changed over time, fusing sophisticated fraud with classic acts of violence, and how crucial interagency cooperation is to breaking up these networks. Diego F. Novaes, an assistant US attorney, will lead the prosecution’s efforts to hold these people responsible.
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