Romeo Wilson, a 20-year-old resident of Tallahassee, Florida, has been sentenced to over two years in federal prison. This follows his guilty plea to charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, multiple counts of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of stolen mail and access devices. The announcement was made by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
"Our citizens and their personal identifying information are the constant targets of devious criminals," stated Acting U.S. Attorney Spaven. "With our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to aggressively prosecuting those individuals who steal the identities of others and disrupt essential government services such as the U.S. Mail."
Court documents reveal that between February 2023 and March 2024, Wilson collaborated with others to defraud federally insured financial institutions in Tallahassee. They engaged in activities such as creating fraudulent checks and making unauthorized withdrawals using victims' personal information. Wilson also facilitated the scheme by providing vehicles and recruiting people to open accounts for receiving fraudulent funds. His arrest occurred on March 4, 2024, after attempting to flee during a traffic stop.
In addition to his prison term, Wilson must pay over $65,000 in restitution to various victims including financial institutions and individuals. His sentence includes three years of supervised release with home detention for the first year.
Bladismir Rojo from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service highlighted the collaborative effort involved: "The successful outcome of this investigation is a reflection of the hard work and dedicated service demonstrated by the entire law enforcement community in Tallahassee." He affirmed ongoing efforts against mail theft.
The case was investigated jointly by several agencies including the United States Postal Inspection Service and local law enforcement bodies. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordane New and Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case.
Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil emphasized community involvement: "It takes a community working together to solve cases like this," urging residents to stay vigilant.
Special Agent Jonathan Ulrich from the U.S. Postal Service Office underscored that mail theft will not go unpunished: "Our special agents...will aggressively investigate these federal crimes."
Simon Blank from Florida's Department of Financial Services praised inter-agency cooperation: "CID is committed to working with agencies across the state to protect Floridians from fraud."
For more details on public court documents or information about the United States Attorney’s Office for Northern District of Florida, visit their official website.