Two Jacksonville Men Plead Guilty To Aggravated Identity Theft, Attempted Bank Fraud, And Possession Of Counterfeit Securities

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Jacksonville residents Hezekiah Williams (59) and David Lee Mitchell (53) have pleaded guilty to attempted bank fraud, possession of counterfeit business checks, and aggravated identity theft. Each faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the attempted bank fraud charge and up to 10 years in prison for the possession of counterfeit securities charge, to be followed by a consecutive mandatory minimum of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft offense.

According to the plea agreement, on November 23, 2014, troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol pulled over a vehicle occupied by Williams, Mitchell, and Travis Ware. During the traffic stop, the troopers observed marijuana inside the SUV. A search of the vehicle revealed 25 counterfeit business checks made out to various individuals and 15 forms of identification from 7 different people. Many of the names on the identification documents matched those printed on the counterfeit checks. Further investigation determined that Mitchell, Williams, and Ware had been driving around three days earlier attempting to fraudulently cash the counterfeit checks and recruiting others to use the ids to cash the checks.

Travis Ware is set to begin trial on November 2, 2015.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol and the United States Secret Service, Jacksonville Field Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.