Date: 01-04-2021

Case Style:

Case Number: 1:19-cr-20631-DPG

Judge: Darrin P. Gayles

Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (Miami-Dade County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office, Miami, Florida

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description: Miami, FL Counterfeit check cashing charged criminal defense lawyer.

Carlos Miguel Rodriguez, Sr. a/k/a “Il Padrino,” 45, was charged with executing a fraud scheme with help from his son, daughter, and others. The swindle operated as follows: Rodriguez, Sr. and his daughter would purchase names, dates of birth, addresses, and social security numbers of unwitting bank customers on the dark web. With the stolen information, Rodriguez, Sr.’s son accessed the victim’s bank accounts to change contact information to a phone number that he and his father controlled. He also downloaded checks signed by the account holders to use as templates for counterfeit checks. Once the counterfeit checks were ready, Rodriguez, Sr. would give them to other co-conspirators, tasking them with finding people who would visit the banks to cash the checks. Sometimes, Rodriguez, Sr. recruited the check cashers himself, using people living on the street or in homeless shelters. The fraudsters had counterfeit checks cashed at banks in South Florida and in California, Texas, and Utah – states to which they traveled for that purpose. Rodriguez, Sr. deposited the cash from the counterfeit checks into different bank accounts to disguise the source of the money.

Also sentenced yesterday for their roles in the fraud scheme were Rodriguez, Sr.’s son, Carlos Miguel Rodriguez, Jr., and Kenny Alfaro, to 52 months imprisonment and 46 months imprisonment, respectively. Each was ordered to pay over $1.8 million in restitution. On September 21, 2020, Raul Alpizar Gonzalez was sentenced to 52 months imprisonment and ordered to pay over $1.8 million in restitution. On July 23, 2020, Rodriguez, Sr.’s daughter, Taily Rodriguez, and Maipu Fonseca, were sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and credit time served, respectively. Taily Rodriguez was ordered to forfeit her home. All defendants are from Miami.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney, Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office, and Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Miami and Secret Service Miami investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Young prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.

18:1349.F Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud
(1)

18:1028A.F Aggravated Identity Theft
(6)

18:922G.F Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
(9)

Outcome: Count 1:

IMPRISONMENT: 105 Months (To run concurrent with Count 9). SUPERVISED RELEASE: 5 Years (To run concurrent with Counts 6 & 9.)

Count 2:

IMPRISONMENT: 24 Months (To run consecutive to the terms imposed in counts 1 and 9.) SUPERVISED RELEASE: 1 Year (To run concurrent with Counts 1 & 9.)

Count 3:

IMPRISONMENT: 105 Months (To run concurrent with Count 1). SUPERVISED RELEASE: 3 Years (To run concurrent with Counts 1 & 6.)

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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