A New Jersey man has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison after using forged U.S. passport cards to withdraw money from victims’ bank accounts in Florida and South Carolina.

Michael Scott Hillwig, 59, of Camden, New Jersey, was sentenced April 7th in the Northern District of Florida for bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false use or forgery of a passport, says the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In May 2023, he unlawfully obtained victims’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and passport card numbers, then created fraudulent U.S. passport cards with his photograph and the victims’ identifying information.

He traveled to financial institutions in South Carolina and Florida locations including Bonifay, Niceville and Winter Garden, presenting victims’ Social Security numbers and the fake passport cards to make withdrawals.

Says U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin,

“It is of vital importance to raise awareness about the vulnerability of our personal identifying information online, which fraudsters relentlessly pursue as they seek to enrich themselves by exploiting their victims. As this defendant has learned, my office is just as relentless in our pursuit of criminals like him, and we aggressively prosecute such frauds to the fullest extent to achieve justice for the victims of these crimes.”

Hillwig will serve more than two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and must pay restitution to victims.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Holmes County Sheriff’s Office.

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The post New Jersey Man Drains Cash From Bank Accounts Across Florida Used Stolen Identities and Forged Passports: DOJ appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

Banks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania were used to deposit stolen checks, or to try to, and two more men have pleaded guilty.

Raymond Wade, 43, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and Dwayne Reddon, 40, of Trenton, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, reports News12 New Jersey.

The operation ran from March 2023 through June 2025.

Participants held themselves out as the people or businesses the checks named, often after obtaining business documents in those names or opening accounts that were not the real payees’, then split the proceeds.

The crew deposited or attempted to deposit more than 100 Treasury and commercial checks worth over $11 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey said on August 11th when it announced the first eight guilty pleas.

Many of the Treasury checks, not the full set, were Employee Retention Credit refunds, a pandemic-era IRS credit meant to help businesses keep workers.

Eight other defendants had already pleaded guilty.

Wayne Bessant, 45, of Hamilton, and Ryan Small, 33, of Ewing, are still charged, and those counts remain pending.

Wade is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17th, and Reddon on February 9th, 2027.

The conspiracy charge carries up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, which can be higher depending on the financial gain or loss.

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The post $11,000,000 in Stolen Checks Fuels Bank Fraud Pleas Across New Jersey and Pennsylvania appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

A New Jersey woman and her Colombian husband have been convicted of running a fake transit company that sought more than $13 million in federal funds meant for elderly, disabled and homeless Americans.

A federal jury in Utica, New York, found Jael Watts, 45, of Alloway, and Luis Pino-Copete, 42, of Bogota, Colombia, guilty in the scheme, says the U.S. Department of Justice.

Prosecutors say the pair operated Pearl Transit Corporation, a New Jersey shell company that claimed to employ drivers nationwide for medical rides and homeless outreach while delivering no real services.

Between July 2019 and October 2025, they sought more than $13 million through false claims and took in more than $1.6 million from agencies in Georgia, California and North Carolina, according to the DOJ.

Trial evidence showed they built fake payrolls and client lists with stolen identities, including people who were already dead, and listed “drivers” who lacked licenses or had never driven a car.

Says Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division,

“The defendants fabricated payrolls and client lists, even using the identities of deceased individuals, to siphon millions meant for the most vulnerable Americans.”

Bank records showed more than $100,000 on Porsche rentals, more than $100,000 at luxury retailer Loro Piana in Manhattan and months of travel across Colombia, Aruba and Europe, the DOJ says.

Watts was convicted of false statement, aggravated identity theft and five counts of wire fraud, while both were also convicted of wire fraud conspiracy, false document and aggravated identity theft. At a January 21st, 2027 sentencing, each faces up to 20 years in prison, fines of up to $250,000 and at least $1.9 million in restitution, and Pino-Copete faces deportation after any prison term.

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The post New Jersey Couple Convicted in $13,000,000 Ghost Ride Fraud Aimed at Elderly and Homeless appeared first on The Daily Hodl.