Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing $1.3M in Stolen Checks
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Charles Whitman, a former resident of Fairfax, pleaded guilty to depositing over $1.33 million in stolen checks belonging to an Arlington businessman.
According to court documents, Whitman, 40, filled out the two stolen checks, one for $369,000 and another for $968,850, before depositing them in February 2014. Whitman deposited the checks into a bank account for Devaplex LLC, a Virginia company that he owned.
After depositing the checks, Whitman withdrew over $15,000 in cash and transferred over $270,000 to his other bank accounts. Whitman then fled to Colombia, where he was ultimately arrested in November 2016.
Whitman pleaded guilty to wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on July 20. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Whitman, a former Virginia resident, now living in Bogota, Colombia, committed the crime in Alexandria, Virginia. The stolen checks were deposited in February 2014, and Whitman was arrested in Bogota, Colombia, in November 2016.
Whitman’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine L. Wong. A copy of the press release and related court documents can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia website.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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