Florida Man Sentenced 6-20 Years for Michigan Rent Payment Thefts, Ordered to Pay Over $27K in Restitution

Rafael Rodriguez, 44, of Florida, was sentenced to 6 to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a plot to steal money orders and cash from housing complex drop boxes in a case that focused on rent payment fraud in Michigan. The Detroit News claims that between 2019 and 2022, Rodriguez and his 56-year-old accomplice Juan Miguel Rodriguez-Venegas preyed on apartment buildings and mobile home parks in Oakland, Saginaw, Bay, and Midland Counties, embezzling the hard-earned money of their residents.

The Midland County Prosecutor’s Office filed joint charges against both men with the Department of Attorney General in March. In August, they entered guilty pleas to one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise and agreed to pay $27,284.31, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Attorney General. In addition to facing a sentence of two to twenty years in prison, Rodriguez-Venegas was sentenced in September. Rodriguez’s judgment is concluded with the recent announcement.

In a statement regarding the case, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “Michiganders work hard and deserve better than having their rent payments fished out of drop boxes and stolen by criminals.” “We believe that this case sends a strong message that even out of state actors will be held responsible for their criminal acts in Michigan,” Midland County Prosecuting Attorney J. Dee Brooks added in a statement that the Michigan Department of Attorney General detailed in a press release. This sentiment permeates the court proceedings.

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