Doug Howard
Law Enforcement Coordinator/Public Information Officer
U.S. Attorney’s Office- Middle District of Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced that a federal judge sentenced 40-year-old William Hayden Searcy, from Montgomery, Alabama, to 64 months in prison. The sentence follows Searcy’s entry of a guilty plea to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, in March and April of 2022, Searcy cashed fraudulent checks at various locations around Montgomery. Details discussed during Searcy’s sentencing hearing on February 22, 2024, revealed that Searcy: (1) stole checks from mailboxes; (2) washed the checks using chemicals that removed ink; (3) wrote new information on the checks making them payable to accounts he controlled; and (4) went to financial institutions and cashed the altered checks. Searcy also used the identities from some of the stolen checks to print checks of his own.
The federal judge also ordered Searcy to pay restitution in the amount of $8,203.42. A co-defendant in the scheme, Tyler Scott Kidd, 27, from Millbrook, Alabama, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2024. Kidd will be jointly liable with Searcy for the restitution amount.
“Mail theft and check fraud are nationwide problems,” said Acting United States Attorney Ross. “Although the Postal Service works diligently to ensure that mail is delivered securely, individuals frequently find ways to exploit the mail system. Individuals should be mindful of the receptacles used to mail checks and check bank accounts regularly for suspicious transactions.”
“When identity thieves use the U.S. Mail to further their scheme, Postal Inspectors work tirelessly with federal prosecutors to bring them to justice,” said Scott Fix, Inspector-in-Charge of the Houston Division. “Fraud and identity theft are not victimless crimes and individuals such as Searcy who commit these crimes face significant penalties as a result of their criminal activity. Postal Inspectors will continue to pursue these individuals in order to preserve the financial integrity of innocent Americans. We extend our appreciation to the Montgomery Police Department that assisted with this investigation.”
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Michelle R. Turner prosecuted.
