An Osceola man, Levelle Joseph Harris, age 38, has been placed under arrest on charges including wire fraud that could see him facing a significant time behind bars. United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg confirmed Harris's indictment, which includes four counts of the charge with each carrying a potential 20-year federal prison sentence, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury on August 6, also mentions a forfeiture order for the sum of $651,432, this amount allegedly represents the total Harris accrued through his fraudulent activities. As reported by court documents, Harris engaged in a scheme between February 7, 2022, and January 31, 2023, where he secured a mortgage by means of false representations, and subsequently used these ill-gotten gains to purchase property under federal criminal forfeiture.
Federal law mandates that every defendant is to be presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been the lead on this investigation, while Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and Jennifer Harrington are spearheading the prosecution and handling the forfeiture aspect, respectively.
Harris will encounter the full force of federal law—if the evidence substantiates the allegations made against him. Harris has until his day in court to rebut the charges leveled in the indictment.
