12/07/2024

Bank fraud scheme involving stolen identities and stolen U.S. Treasury checks send Illinois man to prison for more than five years

United States Attorney's Office District of Montana

MISSOULA — An Illinois man who admitted to attempting to defraud financial institutions in Bozeman in a scheme using stolen identities and stolen U.S. Treasury checks was sentenced today to five years and five months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Dyonte Scott, 24, of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty in July to bank fraud, possession of stolen U.S. Treasury check and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.

“Sophisticated bank fraud schemes, like the one attempted by Scott and his codefendant, Lorenzo Botello, harm multiple victims—banks, which are targeted for money; private citizens whose personal information is stolen and used; and the federal government through taxpayer-funded U.S. Treasury checks. This multi-state scheme ended in Montana due to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners and prosecution team,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

“The sentencing of Scott and Botello, who possessed stolen Treasury checks and attempted to deposit the illicit funds, should serve as a resounding message to others who attempt to steal from the federal government,” said Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office. “IRS-CI is thankful for the great relationship we have with our local law enforcement partners in Montana and will diligently combat financial crimes that victimize the American public.”