FRAUDSTER SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR BANK FRAUD AND STOLEN IDENTITY SCHEME

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Rodrick Florence Jr., 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced in federal court to 72 months in prison after having previously pled guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

United States Attorney Heekin said: “This case is an excellent example of how coordination between federal, state, and private stakeholders leads to justice for those in our community whose identities were stolen and the federally insured financial institutions that were defrauded. I am proud of the cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and private sector partners that is key to dismantling large-scale impersonation fraud rings like this one.”

Court documents reflect that between 2021 and 2023, Florence possessed the personal identifying information of over 7,500 individuals for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining money from their bank accounts. Florence worked with others to create fake identification and bank cards bearing real people’s information, which he and his conspirators used to access their account funds, including by making cash withdrawals and cashing counterfeit checks at various banks and credit unions through northwest Florida and across the nation. From Navy Federal Credit Union alone, Florence and his accomplices attempted to access the accounts of over 250 of its members and successfully obtained over $335,000 using those stolen identities.

Florence was sentenced to 48 months for the bank fraud conspiracy count to be followed by a mandatory consecutive 24 months for the aggravated identity theft count, for a total prison sentence of 72 months.

Other members of the conspiracy were previously convicted in state court as part of this joint investigation. Freedom Prince Brown, 32, was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment after pleading to racketeering. Ridel Baptiste Michel, 33, was sentenced to time served (approximately 20.5 months’ imprisonment) after pleading to racketeering. James Matthew Spears, 60, was sentenced to time served (approximately 23.9 months’ imprisonment) after pleading to illegal use of personal identification information, grand theft, and possession of a forged driver’s license. Michelle Moore, 43, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment after pleading to illegal use of personal identification information, grand theft, uttering forged bills or promissory notes, and possession of a forged driver’s license.

“Navy Federal commends the efforts to hold accountable those who defrauded our members,” said a Navy Federal Spokesperson. “We fully support the pursuit of justice of the fullest extent permitted by the law.”

“We are proud to have worked alongside our federal, local, and private partners in this case, and we commend the efforts of the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Florida and all involved agencies for their dedication to seeing justice served,” said Carrollton Police Department Chief of Police Joel Richards. “The sentencing of Rodrick Florence Jr. sends a clear message that criminal behavior of this nature will not be tolerated.  Our agency remains committed to protecting our community and upholding the rule of law through strong partnerships and an unwavering commitment to our mission to provide the public with driven professionals who partner with citizens to create a safe and responsible community.”

The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Gulf Breeze Police Department, and the State Attorney’s Office for the First Judicial Circuit, with special assistance from the Navy Federal Credit Union Global Security Investigations team and the Carrollton (Georgia) Police Department. The federal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes, and the state cases were prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Robert Paul Gillespie and Ki McInnis.

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 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.