Eight residents of South Georgia have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a fraudulent check cashing and kickback scheme in Valdosta, which relied on stolen check information obtained from a former United States Postal Service employee.
“Individuals who participate in check-cashing and kickback schemes will face imprisonment and other penalties,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Investigators from the Secret Service and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office worked to unravel this criminal network, ultimately preventing further theft and helping us ensure accountability for the defendants.”
Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk stated, “The involvement of the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office was crucial in helping Lowndes County investigators solve this complex fraud case and ensure that the defendants are held accountable for their actions.”
Frederick Pernell Green, 27, of Valdosta, received a sentence of 122 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and must pay $390,475.84 in restitution to Truist Bank after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Thomas Christopher Mitchell, 31; Calvin Dewayne McKeithen (also known as “Supa”), 26; Dewayne Rasheen Butler (“Guwapo”), 26; Tyler Khershad Jones (“LA Clippers”), 24; Mariarlene Brown (“Mati Mom”), 44; William Allen Roberts, 27; and Davontay Wiseman (“Vonn”), 28—all from Valdosta—were also sentenced to varying prison terms ranging from six months to over seven years, with additional periods of supervised release. Each was ordered to pay $390,475.84 in restitution to Truist Bank after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges related to bank fraud.
U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands presided over the proceedings. In federal cases such as these, parole is not available.
Court documents show that beginning around November 2021 through December 2022, Roberts conspired with others including Brown—a then-employee at a local Truist Bank branch—to commit bank fraud using stolen checks supplied by Vincent Galliard of Sumter, South Carolina. Galliard had previously pleaded guilty in South Carolina federal court for his role in selling stolen checks taken from mail while he was employed at the U.S. Post Office there; he was sentenced separately to serve thirty months in prison with five years’ supervised release and ordered to pay restitution.
The group recruited individuals willing to open accounts at Truist Bank under false pretenses and provide access credentials with promises of payment. Fraudulent checks were created using information obtained from Galliard’s stolen mail items and deposited into these accounts—with assistance from Brown inside the bank—allowing illicit withdrawals before detection occurred.
Investigators discovered text messages among co-defendants describing details of their plan as well as photos documenting account numbers, fraudulent checks issued, cash proceeds withdrawn from deposits, debit cards used during transactions, and even a custom diamond ring featuring the Truist logo worn by Green.
The investigation was led by agents from both the United States Secret Service (USSS) and Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Couch Hostetler prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This announcement follows operational delays caused by a recent government shutdown but is being released now following restoration of normal activity.
