Two individuals were charged for endorsing and cashing stolen and fraudulently obtained United States Treasury checks.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.
Pete Hoggins, 32, and Hani Sobhi Alshaikh, a/k/a “Danny," 35, of the Southern District of Florida, were each charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit forgery and theft of public money, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and theft of public money, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. Hoggins was also charged with aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A(a)(1) and 2. The defendants face a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, and ten years in prison for each of the theft of public money charges. Hoggins also faces a mandatory term of two years in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, for the aggravated identity theft charges.
According to the indictment, Alshaikh worked at a gas station in Pompano Beach, Florida. On multiple occasions from December 2011 to January 2014, Hoggins brought Alshaikh stolen and fraudulently obtained Treasury checks to cash at this gas station. Hoggins and Alshaikh forged the payee’s endorsement on the Treasury checks. Alshaikh then deposited those checks into several different business checking accounts that he opened at various banks in the name of his company, HSA Investment Group.
Hoggins is scheduled to be arraigned on May 29, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia O. Valle. Alshaikh is scheduled to be arraigned on June 11, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia O. Valle.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia E. Shick.
An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
