⏱ 2 min read
Eri Guzman Ortiz, a 69-year-old Miami-Dade man, pleaded guilty to running a massive $14 million check scheme that swindled thousands of people and businesses out of their hard-earned cash. Ortiz created and deposited about $14 million in fake checks into the bank accounts of sham companies in the US, using lists of victims provided by a client in Canada. The scheme was simple: Ortiz would use the lists to create fake checks, deposit them into the sham companies’ accounts, and then transfer the money out, all without the victims’ knowledge or authorization.
Ortiz’s guilty plea is the result of a joint investigation by the US Attorney’s Office, the Fraud Section, USPIS, and FDIC-OIG, who worked together to unravel the complex web of fake companies and transactions. According to US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, Ortiz’s scheme was a classic case of wire fraud, using fake checks to reach into the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims and steal their money.
Ortiz is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The case is a reminder that wire fraud can take many forms, from fake checks to phishing scams, and that law enforcement is committed to protecting the integrity of the financial system and holding fraudsters accountable.
The investigation and prosecution of Ortiz’s case demonstrate the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the financial industry in combating fraud and financial crimes. As the case moves forward, it will be interesting to see how the court determines Ortiz’s sentence and what message it sends to would-be fraudsters.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Defendant: Florida
- Location: US
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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