JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man is being accused of several bank fraud charges and theft of mail, according to United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Frank Anthony Acanda, 26, is being charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit theft of mail and theft of mail.
According to the indictment, Acanda and his co-defendant, Jonathan Benavide Hidalgo, drove around areas of Fleming Island, Jacksonville and St. Augustine, and they stole mail from residential and business mailboxes over several months. Officials said they would open the mail and grab checks and money orders. Then, according to the indictment, the co-defendants would deposit the items into bank accounts controlled by them and then use ATMs to withdraw the cash.
In some cases, the co-defendants allegedly altered the stolen checks by increasing the amount to maximize the amount of money they could withdraw.
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If convicted, Acanda would face up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud and up to five years for the theft of mail and conspiracy to commit theft of mail counts.
Acanda would also have to repay the victims he and his co-defendant, Hidalgo, allegedly defrauded.
According to the Department of Justice, this case is being investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Jacksonville Office.
The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
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