A Florida man was sentenced to six years in prison yesterday for his participation in a scheme to steal millions of dollars from American consumers’ bank accounts.
Michael Young, 44, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
According to court documents, Young was part of a criminal enterprise responsible for stealing millions of dollars from the bank accounts of unknowing consumers across the United States.
The enterprise obtained ‘lead lists’ that contained victims’ banking information – some of which derived from payday loan applications – and used it to make unauthorized debits against victims’ bank accounts. Members of the enterprise falsely claimed to banks that victims had authorized the transactions. The enterprise also used numerous shell entities and money laundering techniques to conceal its actions.
Young later replicated the scheme himself to make more money, working for a co-conspirator based in Southern California who ran the domestic side of the operation.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said, ‘This sentence holds accountable yet another member of a transnational criminal network that stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans across the country.’
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith B. Healy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Eugene Fanfan, Tax Evasion, Florida 2016 · California
- Michael Scott Hillwig, Bank Fraud, Florida 2026 · New York
- Jose Miguel Calvo, Violating Rivers and Harbors Act, Florida 2023 · California
- David Esteves, Obstruction of Federal Investigation, Florida 2024 · Puerto Rico
- William Robles, Pesticide Law Violation, Florida 2024 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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