Seven North Carolina Residents Indicted for Scheme to Defraud Banks and Credit Unions in Green Bay and the Fox Valley

United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 18, 2018, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Che L. Simons a/k/a “Che L. Simmons” (age: 28), Sequoia D. Southerland (age: 21), Mackel H. W. Gaither (age: 28), Henry L. Wilder (age: 32), Fred P. Allen a/k/a “Timothy B. Glass Jr.” (age: 24), Keith D. Davidson (age: 26), and Deshawn D. Mobley (age: 27) all residents of North Carolina. Together they are charged with five counts of financial institution fraud contrary to Title 18 United States Code, Section 1344 and two counts of aggravated identity theft in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A. Each fraud count carries a maximum of 30 years imprisonment and $1,000,000 fine, while the identity theft counts call for a mandatory two years imprisonment consecutive to any underlying sentence handed down by the court.

The indictment alleges the group schemed to defraud financial institutions across the United States, including numerous banks and credit unions in the Fox Valley and Green Bay areas. The defendants are alleged to have stolen checks from numerous Wisconsin businesses’ mailboxes prior to altering them and recruiting individuals from homeless shelters, state probation and parole offices, Salvation Army rehabilitation centers, and bus stations to cash the counterfeit checks in exchange for a small amount of money. The defendants are alleged to have obtained or attempted to obtain more than $120,000 from banks and credit unions in Northeast Wisconsin.

This case was investigated by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Appleton Police Department, Grand Chute Police Department, Green Bay Police Department, De Pere Police Department, Ashwaubenon Public Safety Office, Marinette Police Department, and the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.