An Atlanta man has been sentenced for involvement in a multi-state bank fraud scheme. On April 7, 2025, Stanford Wilvin Lightfoot was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. Lightfoot, 33, will also be required to pay restitution totaling $161,401.17.
Stanford Lightfoot pled guilty in November 2024 to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case.
Court documents revealed that Lightfoot was part of a fraud ring from approximately five months in 2023, which targeted banks across Montana, Maine, and Missouri. Lightfoot and his co-conspirators operated from a base in Atlanta, Georgia. They allegedly recruited local homeless individuals with valid identification cards in each state. These individuals were taken to banks and provided with fraudulent checks bearing forged signatures meant to impersonate real account holders. Upon successful cashing, the funds were handed over to Lightfoot and his associates. In the event of arrest, the homeless individuals were left to face legal consequences on their own.
Within Montana, fraudulent activities were carried out in various locations including Belgrade, Bozeman, and Livingston, where they attempted check forgeries totaling over $20,000.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation being conducted by the FBI, alongside local law enforcement agencies including the Livingston, Belgrade, and Bozeman Police Departments.