Louisiana man found with hundreds of forged checks and IDs, sentenced for wire fraud
A Louisiana man has been sentenced to over five years in prison for wire fraud.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ar. (KLFY) - A Louisiana man has been sentenced to over five years in prison for wire fraud.
On Nov. 17, Wilbert Adam Theodore, III, 52, of New Orleans, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to a press release from the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney's Office Western District of Arkansas.
Theodore was also ordered to pay $19,222 in restitution to the victims on one count of wire fraud, the press release said.
According to the press release, on Nov. 5, 2020, Theodore was arrested for forgery in connection with his possession of a stolen U-Haul at a hotel in Fayetteville, Ar. It was then learned that he was using a stolen identity to rent the hotel room and the van.
In his hotel room, authorities found various items used to conduct check fraud, including 300 forged checks, over 100 forged driver's licenses with Theodore's photo, a notebook with a list of social security numbers, and receipts of wire transfers, the press release said.
The investigation also revealed that Theodore was a suspect in an ongoing investigation into fraudulent wire transfers conducted at various Walmart locations in multiple states.
According to the press release, Theodore was using the forged identification cards and social security numbers of stolen identities to pass the checks. Video surveillance also showed Theodore cashing a $600 check at a Walmart in Fayetteville, Ar.
The United States Secret Service and Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sydney Butler.