Hilliard man charged in major fraud scheme targeting dozens, including local nonprofit, Sheriff’s Office employee

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – A Hilliard man is accused of orchestrating a large-scale fraud scheme involving stolen identities, forged checks and attempts to steal more than $100,000, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said a months-long investigation led to the arrest of 26-year-old Colin Wade Harris, who faces multiple felony charges, including first-degree grand theft of more than $100,000, uttering forged bills, fraudulent use of a credit card, using the identity of another without consent, and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.

Harris is being held in the Nassau County Jail & Detention Center without bond.

NCSO said the investigation began in December 2025 after a victim reported a $100 check had been altered to $1,000 and deposited with the intended recipient’s name changed.

Surveillance video from a local bank later identified Harris depositing the check using another person’s identity, investigators said.

As detectives continued their investigation, they uncovered a pattern of similar fraud cases. In one case, Harris deposited seven checks totaling more than $5,000 that were intended for a local nonprofit organization.

Detectives said they also found photos on his cellphone of 15 checks made payable to the same organization, including one for $175,000.

Investigators determined Harris opened bank accounts using stolen identities to deposit checks into. After seizing his cellphone while he was in jail on separate charges, detectives discovered he had purchased the personal identifying information of at least 109 individuals, most of them local residents, including an employee of the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

While in jail, Harris also attempted to have someone remotely erase data associated with his Apple account after learning detectives had obtained a search warrant for his phone.

“This was a calculated scheme that targeted innocent victims, businesses and even a local non-profit organization,” Sheriff Bill Leeper said. “Our detectives worked tirelessly to uncover the full scope of this operation, and their work prevented even more people from becoming victims. Fraud is not a victimless crime, and we will continue to aggressively investigate those who steal from others for their own personal gain.”

Harris was previously on probation for trafficking in counterfeit credit cards.