The Port St. Lucie Police Department is asking for help identifying an individual in connection with an active investigation
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) —A central Alabama man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role as the “ringleader” in a multi-state bank fraud scheme involving fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Eddarrius Tyjuan Wallace, 37, of York, Alabama, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco to 60 months in prison and fined $25,000. Wallace pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud.
According to court documents, Wallace organized and managed the scheme between June and September 2023. Prosecutors said he recruited and trained other participants to fraudulently deposit and withdraw funds from U.S. Treasury checks in Alabama and Mississippi.
The investigation began after a Tuscaloosa bank reported in June 2023 that two Treasury checks bearing forged endorsements had been deposited. Authorities ultimately identified fraudulent transactions totaling more than $1.8 million.
Wallace was arrested on Sept. 19, 2023, along with five other people during a traffic stop conducted by officers with the Madison Police Department in Mississippi. Investigators said Wallace was carrying $11,969 in cash. A search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered a fraudulent identification card, mail and multiple bank debit cards bearing names that did not correspond to the vehicle’s occupants.
At the time of the alleged scheme, Wallace was also on bond for unrelated state offenses, according to court documents.
U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. said the case demonstrates the financial impact of fraud on both government resources and the banking system. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Special Agent in Charge Joel Weaver said the agency remains focused on protecting the federal tax administration system and investigating attempts to misuse Treasury refund checks.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Madison Police Department.
The Justice Department announced the creation of its National Fraud Enforcement Division, or Fraud Division, on April 7. The division is tasked with investigating and prosecuting fraud against the public and is part of broader federal efforts to address fraud, waste and abuse involving government programs.
