Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Bank And Mail Fraud Conspiracy Involving 30 Victim Financial Institutions

Greenbelt, Maryland – Willie R. Trimble, age 68, of Statesboro, Georgia, pleaded guilty yestMondayerday to conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel A. Adame of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; and Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler.

According to his guilty plea, from 2015 to 2016, Trimble conspired with at least two other individuals to steal, alter, and cash checks written by victim businesses and individuals from U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) mail receptacles.

In furtherance of the conspiracy, Trimble cashed a counterfeit check for $6,850 at a victim Baltimore financial institution, allowed a co-conspirator to insert his picture onto a fraudulent Georgia State driver’s license under the fake identity of “David Cleveland”, and burglarized a Mississippi U.S. Post Office in which he stole mail and USPS equipment.

Additionally, in November 2017, Trimble used the Cleveland alias and counterfeit Georgia State driver’s license to withdraw funds from a victim South Carolina bank. He also attempted to cash a stolen and altered business check under the same fraudulent identity. In the same month, surveillance footage captured Trimble attempting to cash a stolen check and disposing of stolen mail behind a convenience store.

As part of the scheme to defraud, Trimble and his co-conspirators recruited dozens of individuals to cash altered or counterfeit checks made out to them in exchange for a portion of the proceeds. At times, Trimble supervised and transported groups of cashers to victim financial institutions where the victim businesses banked.

During Trimble’s participation in the conspiracy, the mail and bank fraud scheme resulted in the total loss of at least $119,212.50 to victim individuals, approximately 30 business victims, and 15 federally insured financial institutions within Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, and elsewhere.

Trimble faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison followed by five years of supervised released for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has not scheduled a sentencing hearing at this time.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the USPIS and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam K. Ake and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason X. Hamilton, who are prosecuting the case.