As a result of a sophisticated operation that involved counterfeit identification documents, debit cards, cheques, and other items, two men have been sentenced to prison for allegedly stealing money from more than a dozen people living in Central Georgia.
Between the months of October 2023 and March 2024, Lajerrius Barfield Jr. of Macon and Jonathan Baez of Atlanta were accused of stealing thousands of dollars from at least 18 victims by using stolen mail and fraudulent identification documents, as stated in an indictment filed by the RICO committee in Houston County.
According to the investigators, Barfield would collect personal information, most of the time from drop boxes at the post office. He would then recruit other individuals, many of whom were working through addiction or were involved in prostitution, to pose as victims at banks using the bogus identification documents. After that, Baez worked from his flat to construct such identification credentials, even incorporating authentic government seals on the paperwork.
Phillip Geck, one of the victims, stated that “it’s your personal money that you work hard for,” and he was completely right.
A cheque for around $3,000 was mailed by Geck, but it was never delivered to the person who was supposed to receive it. He was then alerted by the Perry Police Department that the check had been taken. According to him, the most of the victims were elderly folks who were living on fixed incomes, just like himself.
The statement made by Geck was, “This is not the first time I have dealt with financial fraud.” “My identity has been snatched out of my possession previously. I have it set up such that they will contact me before they complete the payment if they notice anything that seems questionable.
In accordance with Georgia’s RICO legislation, which regulates organized criminal behavior, charges were brought against the plan. In May, Barfield entered a guilty plea and was subsequently sentenced to twenty years in jail, five of which were to be served in prison, as well as a fine of twenty-five thousand dollars. A guilty plea was entered by Baez on June 2, and he was given a sentence of thirty years, with ten years to be served in prison.
According to the authorities, fourteen individuals were initially indicted in connection with the case, and the prosecutions of other individuals involved in the case are still underway.
