A 24-year-old Jacksonville man was sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in an identity theft and counterfeit check scheme.
Travis Ware pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2015. Two co-defendants, David Lee Mitchell and Hezekiah Williams, have pleaded guilty to attempted bank fraud, possession of counterfeit business checks, and aggravated identity theft. They remain in federal custody pending a sentencing date.
Recommended Videos
According to court documents, troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol pulled over a vehicle occupied by Ware. Mitchell and Williams. During the traffic stop, the troopers reported seeing marijuana inside the SUV. A search revealed 25 counterfeit business checks made out to various individuals and 15 forms of identification from 7 different people. Many of the names on the identification documents matched those printed on the counterfeit checks.
Further investigation determined that Ware, Mitchell, and Williams had been driving around three days earlier attempting to fraudulently cash the counterfeit checks and recruiting others to use the ids to cash the checks.
On Oct. 2, 2015, Mitchell and Williams pleaded guilty to attempted bank fraud, possession of counterfeit business checks, and aggravated identity theft. They remain in federal custody pending a sentencing date.