Atlanta Men Used Providence Homeless To Cash Bad Checks: DOJ

PROVIDENCE, RI — Four men from the Atlanta metro area were sentenced to federal prison for using people experiencing homelessness to cash counterfeit checks across New England, in some cases against their will.

Cortavious Benford, 27, Michael Williams, 27, Austin Weaver, 27, and Jalen Ronald Stanford, 28, admitted to making counterfeit checks made payable to these people across New England. They would then drive them to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine to cash them, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Rhode Island said.

Checks were generally at least $2,000 and, according to authorities, an investigation determined that between October 2018 and February 2021, the group was responsible for more than$677,000 in counterfeit checks being cashed at banks. These fake checks resulted in financial institutions losing nearly $481,000.

Several of the group's mules were arrested trying to cash the checks, and authorities said the group typically paid them around $100 for a check successfully cashed.

On Feb. 5, 2021, Williams and Benford recruited and drove a person to a Providence bank to cash a check, threatening to injure the man if he failed to provide them with all the proceeds, authorities said.

But, from inside the bank, the man pointed to the vehicle parked outside. Providence Police located the vehicle a short distance away and arrested Williams and Benford, who had $12,000 in cash on-hand.

A court-authorized search of a Providence residence that law enforcement determined the four men used when in Rhode Island resulted in the seizure of a computer that had a program used to design and print checks, a printer, blank check stock and an envelope containing numerous stolen checks and approximately $5,000 in cash.

Weaver and Stanford were arrested on later dates.

The four men were convicted in federal court in Rhode Island on a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Benford was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 24 months in federal prison; Austin Weaver was sentenced on July 15, to 30 months of incarceration; Jalen Ronald Stanford was sentenced in June to 24 months in prison; and Michael Williams was sentenced in February to 41 months imprisonment.