JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man pleaded guilty to bank fraud and mail theft charges connected to multiple Northeast Florida counties.
According to the Department of Justice, 27-year-old Jonathan Hidalgo, of Jacksonville, his accomplice, 27-year-old Frank Acanda and others drove around areas of Fleming Island, Jacksonville and St. Augustine for several months stealing mail from residential and business mailboxes.
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Prosecutors said the pair would open the mail, steal checks and money orders, then have them deposited into their bank accounts, they then used ATMs to withdraw the cash.
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In some instances, the pair altered the stolen checks by increasing the amount to maximize how much they could withdraw, DOJ said.
Hidalgo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit theft of mail and one count of theft of mail, according to the Department of Justice.
He faces up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, as well as up to five years for mail theft and conspiracy to commit mail theft.
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Acanda entered a guilty plea on June 12. His sentencing hearing is set for Sept. 30, 2024.
Both Hidalgo and Acanda are faced with repaying the victims they defrauded, DOJ said.