Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
A federal grand jury has indicted Michael Scott Hillwig, 58, of Camden, New Jersey, on charges related to bank fraud and identity theft. The indictment includes two counts of bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of false use or forgery of a passport. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Hillwig appeared in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on August 27, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. His trial is scheduled for October 27, 2025, before United States District Judge Mark Walker.
If convicted on all charges, Hillwig could face up to thirty years in prison for each bank fraud count. Each aggravated identity theft count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years’ imprisonment. The charge for false use or forgery of a passport could result in up to ten years’ imprisonment.
The investigation involved the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service as well as the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Holmes County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Harley W. Ferguson is prosecuting the case.
“An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial,” according to the statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of 94 offices acting as principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed online through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website (https://www.flnd.uscourts.gov/). More information about the office is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
