COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - A Columbus man at the center of a nationwide fraud operation has been sentenced to prison following a multi-year investigation targeting one of the city’s largest check fraud schemes to date.

In 2021, the Financial Crimes Unit of the Columbus Police Department began investigating a series of mail thefts involving business mailboxes and U.S. Postal Service blue collection boxes. From those thefts, checks were stolen, account numbers were copied, and counterfeit checks were created, launching what would become a multi-million dollar scheme known as “card cracking.”

During the investigation, detectives identified Drekian Dowdell as a key suspect and the ringleader of multiple cases tied to the operation. Dowdell was arrested in 2022.

Since then, residents and businesses in Columbus have collectively lost millions of dollars, and similar schemes continue to surface across the nation.

Dowdell’s case was scheduled for trial in June 2025. After jury selection and several denied motions by the defense, Dowdell chose to plead guilty to all charges. He was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by several years on probation.

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