Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Tyrone Terrell Harris, a 34-year-old from Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty on March 24 in federal court in Cedar Rapids to charges connected with a fraudulent U.S. Treasury check scheme that targeted Eastern Iowa financial institutions in 2023.
The case is significant because it highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat identity theft and money laundering schemes involving government funds. The charges against Harris include five counts of theft of government property, five counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to evidence presented at detention hearings and other related proceedings, Harris provided fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks to co-conspirators who used fake driver’s licenses bearing the names of real victims. These individuals also had access to the victims’ social security numbers and dates of birth. They opened bank accounts using this information and quickly withdrew the proceeds in cash before authorities could detect the fraud.
At his plea hearing, Harris admitted involvement with five stolen U.S. Treasury checks between August and September 2023 totaling over $300,000 across five victims’ names. He also admitted personally withdrawing $9,000 in cash from fraud proceeds as part of an effort to conceal their origin and conspired with others between June and September 2023 to launder these funds. Harris has prior felony convictions for offenses including attempting to elude police officers and driving under the influence across Illinois, Georgia, and Oklahoma.
Harris is not the only person convicted as part of this scheme; several others have received sentences ranging from six months’ home confinement up to more than three years' imprisonment for similar crimes involving forged endorsements on treasury checks or aggravated identity theft.
Sentencing for Harris will be scheduled after completion of a presentence report before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He remains in custody pending sentencing where he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years' imprisonment but could receive up to 100 years' imprisonment along with fines totaling $3.5 million.
