VALDOSTA, Georgia – Two Quitman men, Darius Hollis, 25, and Leon Thomas, Jr., 28, have been sentenced for their roles in a credit card and bank fraud scheme.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, on July 11, 2018, Senior United States District Court Judge Hugh Lawson sentenced Darius Hollis to 26 months to serve in federal prison and Leon Thomas, Jr. to 24 months to serve in federal prison.
Hollis was also ordered to pay $130,168.84 in restitution to banks and individuals in Valdosta and Thomasville, and national banks that were defrauded. Thomas was sentenced to pay $28,550.47, jointly with Hollis, in restitution to one of the out of state banks defrauded.
The investigation began in September 2016 when the United States Secret Service in Albany, Georgia was contacted by the Louisville, Kentucky Police Department regarding fraudulent money transfers being debited from the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center’s bank account with Fifth Third Bank.
The payments were being applied to a Capital One credit card and a Synchrony Bank Belt credit card. Hollis was the account holder of the Capital One card and Thomas was the account holder of the Belk card.
The conspiracy also included fraud against financial institutions in South Georgia, including Thomasville National Bank and First Federal Savings and Loan in Valdosta, Georgia. Multiple credit cards were opened by Hollis under various individuals’ names, and nearly $90,000 in funds from business and individual bank accounts in Valdosta and Thomasville were fraudulently used to pay the amounts due on the credit card accounts.
A total of $130,168.84 in loss, the restitution amount ordered, is attributable to the scheme.
“Mr. Hollis and Mr. Thomas were clever enough to swindle these banks and their customers for a while, but they weren’t smart enough to indefinitely elude apprehension and punishment for their misdeeds,” said United States Attorney Peeler.
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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