U.S. Attorney Jesse A. Laslovich | U.S. Department of Justice
An Illinois man has been sentenced to over five years in federal prison for his involvement in a bank fraud scheme that used stolen identities and U.S. Treasury checks. Dyonte Scott, 24, from Chicago, pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud, possession of a stolen U.S. Treasury check, and aggravated identity theft in July.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy handed down the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release following the prison term.
"Sophisticated bank fraud schemes, like the one attempted by Scott and his codefendant, Lorenzo Botello, harm multiple victims—banks, which are targeted for money; private citizens whose personal information is stolen and used; and the federal government through taxpayer-funded U.S. Treasury checks," stated U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.
Tom Demeo from IRS Criminal Investigation emphasized the importance of this case: "The sentencing of Scott and Botello... should serve as a resounding message to others who attempt to steal from the federal government."
The government's case revealed that on January 26th, co-defendant Lorenzo Botello was apprehended at a Bozeman financial institution with fraudulent documents using another person's identity. Evidence showed communication between Scott and Botello orchestrating the fraudulent activities.
Scott instructed Botello via text messages on how to deceive financial institutions as part of their scheme involving nearly $1 million in stolen U.S. Treasury checks. When caught, Scott destroyed one such check in front of law enforcement officers.
This criminal operation spanned multiple states with individuals attempting to cash high-value Treasury checks at banks across the country. Botello received a 16-month federal prison sentence for his role in October.
The investigation was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation unit along with local law enforcement agencies including the Bozeman Police Department and Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.
