Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud in Maine and Oregon and Illegal Gun Possession in Florida

PORTLAND, Maine: A Fort Lauderdale, Florida man pleaded guilty in federal court today to committing bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, in November 2020, Leonardo Cameron, 27, and coconspirators broke into unattended vehicles in southern Maine and New Hampshire and stole personal identifying information, such as driver’s licenses and checkbooks. They then used the identifications to cash stolen checks using multiple bank drive-through lanes in southern Maine. As part of the scheme, checks from one theft victim’s account were made payable to another identity theft victim, and a female coconspirator impersonated the identity theft victims to cash the stolen checks. In July 2020, Cameron engaged in similar conduct in Oregon with different coconspirators. When he was arrested in Florida months later on Oregon federal bank fraud and identity theft charges, he possessed a firearm and ammunition. He has a prior felony conviction that precludes him from possessing firearms or ammunition. Cameron agreed to transfer jurisdiction over the Florida and Oregon charges to the District of Maine for the purpose of entering guilty pleas to all pending federal charges.

Cameron faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine followed by up to five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Eliot, Maine Police Department; the FBI in Portland, Maine; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Portland, Oregon; and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida investigated these cases.

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