Eight residents of South Georgia were hit with prison sentences recently for their roles in a sophisticated check fraud and kickback operation that spanned over a year. At the center of this scheme were fraudulently produced checks, bank accounts opened under false pretenses, and a network of individuals, including a former United States Postal Service worker and a bank branch employee.
According to information obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Frederick Pernell Green and seven co-conspirators worked their angles in this scam right up until law enforcement uncovered their dealings, having first started at least as early as November 2021. Foiled by the efforts of the U.S. Secret Service and the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, their fraudulent activities possibly could have led to more financial damage had the operation continued any further. U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes pointed out the significant role these agencies played, stating, "Investigators from the Secret Service and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office worked to unravel this criminal network, ultimately preventing further theft and helping us ensure accountability for the defendants."
The defendants were sentenced to varying lengths of prison time, ranging from six months to over ten years, with each also ordered to pay substantial restitution sums to Truist Bank. These sentences were handed down by U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands, with the clear message that there is no parole in the federal system.
Mariarlene Brown, labeled as "Mati Mom," a one-time employee of a Truist Bank branch, was said to have played a pivotal role inside the bank, ensuring the successful withdrawal of cash from fraudulently funded accounts. She was sentenced to 33 months in prison. While her actions facilitated this deceitful exchange of currency, it's unclear how involved the solicited accountholders were in the full scope of the conspiracy, involved in the scheme through deception, who were recruited to open the bank accounts, according to the same press release.
Detailed in court documents are the inner workings of this scam: stolen check information from Vincent Galliard, a former USPS employee, replicated onto fraudulent checks deposited into accounts of individuals paid to be complicit. Underneath this operation, the U.S. Attorney's Office released information that highlights the calculated nature of the crime, uncovering text messages among the defendants that outlined their criminal strategy, flaunted their illicit gains, and even showcased an audacious custom-designed diamond ring emblematic of the bank they defrauded.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Couch Hostetler led the prosecution on behalf of the Government, ensuring that these individuals would indeed face the music for their orchestrated attempt to pilfer the very mechanisms of trust and security that uphold our financial systems.
