Danny Seruto Perez, Bank Fraud and Identity Theft, Florida 2021

A string of mail thefts from mail collection boxes in South Florida has led to a 30-month prison sentence for one of the perpetrators.

Danny Seruto Perez, a Palm Beach resident, was sentenced for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. Perez pleaded guilty to the offenses on December 30, 2021.

According to court documents, starting in or around July 2018, the United States Postal Inspection Service was alerted to a string of mail thefts from mail collection boxes. Multiple victims reported that checks they had mailed out, including those to pay their bills, never reached their intended recipients.

Through its investigation, the USPIS learned that many of the stolen checks had been visibly altered and re-written with Perez’s name as the payment recipient, and for larger payments than the original amounts written by the victims.

Further investigation revealed that Perez fraudulently deposited these ‘washed’ and stolen checks into his own bank account and into accounts held by his friends. Perez’s bank fraud scheme involved stolen checks from approximately 15 victims, totaling approximately $36,700 in stolen funds—all of which the court has now ordered him to pay back as restitution to the victims.

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Joseph W. Cronin, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Inspector in Charge, Miami Division, made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Orlando Domicile, in collaboration with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Vero Beach Police Department and the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lacee Monk and Eduardo Gardea Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Stone is handling forfeiture.

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