Kevin Rhodes, Bank Fraud, Pennsylvania 2019

Bank Fraud Schemes Unravel in Scranton, PA

A 25-year-old man from New Columbia, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release, including six months of home confinement, for his role in a bank fraud scheme.

Kevin Rhodes, age 25, received the sentence on July 23, 2019, from United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion. Rhodes was one of several individuals who conspired to commit bank fraud between October 1, 2016, and December 7, 2017.

According to the US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the conspirators purchased relatively low-value money orders worth between approximately $3 and $18, and altered their values to be $1,000. The altered money orders were deposited into bank accounts owned and controlled by the defendants and their conspirators, and subsequently withdrawn in cash.

The scheme resulted in approximately $141,000 worth of altered money orders being deposited, including $15,000 worth of altered money orders in Rhodes's bank account. Rhodes was also connected to another $5,000 worth of altered money orders deposited in another individual's account.

Rhodes's co-defendant, Trae Reed, was previously sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment for his involvement in the scheme. Two other codefendants, Dominique Brown and Jayla Johnson, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

US Postal Inspectors investigated the matter, and Assistant US Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case. As part of the sentence, Judge Mannion ordered Rhodes to pay $14,890.72 in restitution.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/pennsylvania-man-sentenced-time-served-and-home-confinement-bank-fraud