Pensacola, Florida –Vontavius Jamaal Bradley, 23, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after having previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, use of a false passport, and aggravated identity theft. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges and sentence today. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “These defendants victimized several innocent individuals in order to fraudulently enrich themselves, but thanks to the excellent investigative work of our federal law enforcement partners we have dismantled their scheme and now hold them accountable for their crimes. With support from the National Fraud Enforcement Division, my office is aggressively prosecuting fraudsters and ensuring they see the inside of a prison cell for ripping off the American people.”
According to court documents, Bradley conspired with his co-defendants, Elizabeth Ann Rogers and Donny Bernard Ross, and others to open accounts at various banks and credit unions in the Pensacola area using stolen identities. Once opened, the defendants used the accounts to cash stolen, altered, or counterfeit checks. Bradley obtained and provided to his accomplices fraudulent identification documents, including false U.S. passport cards. He also provided the fraudulent checks to conduct fraudulent transactions, and the co-defendants all split the proceeds. As part of the conspiracy and scheme, Bradley and his co-defendants fraudulently obtained and used personal identifying information of real people without their knowledge or authorization.
In addition to having to serve 42 months in prison, Bradley was ordered to pay $18,264 in restitution to financial institution and identity theft victims. Rogers and Ross have also pleaded guilty to the same charges and are awaiting sentencing before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
“Safeguarding U.S. passports and visas is central to the Diplomatic Security Service mission and critical to protecting our national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Ryan McSeveney of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Miami Field Office. “U.S. passports and visas are among the most sought-after travel documents in the world, and DSS is firmly committed to protecting their integrity. We thank our law enforcement partners for their outstanding collaboration in this case and will continue to pursue those who use identity theft and document fraud to facilitate criminal activity and defraud the American people.”
The case resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes prosecuted t case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.