TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A Tallahassee man will spend more than two years in federal prison related to mail theft and check fraud cases in the Big Bend.

Romeo Wilson, 20, was sentenced after pleading guilty to more than 20 federal charges last August, including bank fraud, mail theft and possessing a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) arrow key, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Wilson’s case was examined in WCTV Investigates’ Washed Away series, taking a close look at mail theft and check fraud in the Big Bend.

According to prosecutors, court documents show Wilson and others worked to defraud or fraudulently get money from many Tallahassee-based financial institutions from February 2023 to March 2024. Tallahassee Police officers arrested Wilson in March 2024 after he left a traffic stop.

One financial institution named in Wilson’s indictment was First Commerce Credit Union, where prosecutors said he withdrew $5,000 from five accounts in just one day in February 2024.

Wilson and others, prosecutors said, created, deposited or attempted to exchange fraudulent checks, altered and deposited checks which were stolen from mail and made unauthorized withdrawals from bank accounts using personally identifying information of victims.

Prosecutors went on to say Wilson also supplied cars and recruited people to open bank accounts to get fraud proceeds.

“The successful outcome of this investigation is a reflection of the hard work and dedicated service demonstrated by the entire law enforcement community in Tallahassee, FL,” Bladismir Rojo, Acting Inspector In Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division said. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to investigate, identify and hold mail thieves accountable.”

The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Tallahassee Police Dept., Leon County Sheriff’s Office, USPS Office of Inspector General, Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement and Florida Dept. of Financial Services took part in this investigation.

Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil asked residents to remain vigilant and report check fraud, washing or mail theft cases to law enforcement.

“It takes a community working together to solve cases like this,” McNeil said. “The public played a key role in helping to connect the dots and bring this defendant forward. We’re asking residents to stay alert, check their security cameras, and report anything unusual.”

In addition to his prison sentence, Wilson was also ordered to pay more than $65,000 in restitution to his victims, which include multiple financial institutions, businesses and people.

Wilson’s federal prison sentence will also be followed by three years of supervised release with home detention during the first year.

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