Jackson, MS – Four New York residents have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in an identity theft and bank fraud conspiracy that used fake passports and stolen identities to withdraw thousands of dollars from Mississippi banks, federal prosecutors announced.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, Jaivon Davon Taylor, Jadin Winfield, Dennis James Swint, and Nicolas Beltre were sentenced last week in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty to charges including aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and use of false passports.
Prosecutors said the group used stolen personal information to create counterfeit passport cards and credit cards, which they presented at banks in the Jackson area to make fraudulent withdrawals. Investigators later linked the stolen identities to mail theft carried out by another criminal group in Madison County, which has already faced state prosecution.
The operation unraveled when a vigilant bank employee noticed irregularities in withdrawal attempts and alerted the Madison County Police Department. Officers arrested Taylor, Winfield, and Swint inside a rental vehicle near the bank. Beltre was later arrested in New York on a federal warrant issued in Mississippi.
As part of the case, the defendants forfeited $261,647.47 in cash, $43,685.07 in checks, counterfeit credit cards, and equipment used to manufacture fraudulent documents.
Taylor was sentenced to 70 months in prison, Swint to 79 months, Winfield to 57 months, and Beltre to 54 months. All four will serve supervised release following their prison terms.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
