A Miami man has been arrested in Martin County on accusations of attempting to deposit a fraudulent $1 million check, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office. Marc Anthony Taylor Jr., 38, faces charges that include scheming to defraud to obtain property valued at $50,000 or more, and the use or possession of another person's identification without consent, as reported by NBC Miami.
The failed deception unfolded on Aug. 8 when Taylor entered a bank in Stuart, trying to deposit the check from JPMorgan Chase Bank, Ohio, payable to an Orlando business he had established. The business was under a different name, and the driver's license Taylor presented was a Washington license with the name he was using, according to the WSVN report. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said this isn’t Taylor’s first run-in with fraud; he has a history of similar offenses and may be linked to other scams in Florida.
Taylor's grandiose scheme came crashing down thanks in part to a vigilant bank teller who alerted authorities, leading to a quick response to halt the fraud. It was discovered that Taylor had created Cooper Legacy Builders LLC, using another man's information, who possessed a valid Florida driver's license, to lend an air of legitimacy to his efforts.
Subsequent investigations led deputies to another bank last Friday after fraud was reported, and Taylor was eventually taken into custody. "This arrest was a million-dollar catch — and while Taylor may have been aiming for a big payday, he’s now wearing the title of “Million Dollar Man: Fraud Edition” at the Martin County Jail," the MCSO stated, as quoted by NBC Miami. Body camera footage from the arrest showed Taylor in the back of a police cruiser.
Details on Taylor's bond or whether he has obtained an attorney were not immediately available following the reports of his arrest.
