The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the Sanford Police Department announce the arrest of a Sanford man in a major check cashing scheme. Leonard Eugene Malone, 38, was arrested today and charged with numerous counts of organized fraud, grand theft and criminal use of personal identification.

Malone was the ringleader in a scam that manufactured fraudulent driver’s licenses and then produced business checks made out to those individuals. Malone would travel to various businesses and financial institutions throughout Central Florida and use the false identity to cash the counterfeit checks. Investigators say Malone also stole legitimate checks from individuals and cashed those as well. Investigators believe some of the identities on the licenses and the checks were acquired as a result of the group stealing mail from community mailboxes and garbage dumpsters.

Investigators estimate the financial loss to business and financial institutions to be more than several hundred thousand within the last year. Malone is currently on federal probation for committing similar crimes.

The investigation is still ongoing and additional arrests are anticipated. Malone was booked into the Seminole County Jail.


For Further Information Contact:
Heather Smith, Kristen Perezluha or Mike Morrison
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001