United States of America v. Sean Donnell White

Mobile, Alabama criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with bank fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and a wire fraud scheme.

Theodore Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraud Schemes and Aggravated Identity Theft

Sean Donnell White, 30, engaged in various fraud schemes between 2020 and 2022. One of White's fraud schemes involved stealing mail to obtain victims' bank account and personal identifying information. White recruited a postal employee, Kristen Arieale Williams, to participate in the scheme. Williams illegally sold White an "arrow” key for $2,500 in cash. Arrow keys are government property and will open, among other things, all blue postal collection boxes in a particular geographic area. Law enforcement caught White using the key to steal mail from collection boxes outside the Bel Air Mall in Mobile in November 2022. White stole hundreds of pieces of mail using the key and committed numerous fraudulent bank transactions totaling at least $69,508.69 using counterfeited checks that he generated based on information he stole from the mail.



White's other fraud scheme was a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam. To carry out the scheme, White bought stolen identities from illicit dark web marketplaces online. Using those stolen identities, White opened Coinbase and associated bank accounts, both of which he controlled. White selected banks that he knew allowed accountholders to overdraw their accounts by as much as $35,000. White then overdrew several accounts, making cryptocurrency trades in the Coinbase accounts using the unsettled funds. White siphoned any profits from the trades into accounts he controlled. The victim banks suffered losses if White lost money on the trades. As part of this "Coinbase scam,” White obtained at least $210,000 in fraudulently derived criminal proceeds.



In addition to the 32-month prison sentence, Judge DuBose ordered White to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment, and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered White to pay $35,334.10 in victim restitution, a $210,000 money judgment, and $300 in special assessments.



A federal jury convicted Williams of various fraud offenses in November 2023. Judge DuBose sentenced Williams to three years in federal prison and ordered her to pay victim restitution.



U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.



The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the USPS–Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. The Brewton Police Department and the U.S. Small Business Administration–Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation.



Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Bodnar and Justin Roller prosecuted the cases on behalf of the United States.