Georgia man admits to defrauding Utah banks of more than $200K

The Department of Justice has announced that a Georgia man has pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple federal crimes following his admission that he engaged in a check fraud scheme to defraud several federally insured financial institutions in Utah.

Toddorius Goodwin, a 34-year-old from Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity fraud.

According to court documents, and admissions made during Goodwin's change of plea hearing, Goodwin and his associates traveled to Utah from Georgia to engage in the check fraud scheme.

Once in Utah Goodwin would allegedly recruit impoverished individuals to assist with their scheme. Goodwin and associates stole payroll checks from private mailboxes and would alter the "payable to" names on the checks to the recruited individuals names.

The individuals would then go into various banks to cash the forged checks in exchange for a cut of the profit. According to investigators, Goodwin and his associates successfully cashed at least $214,179.51 worth of counterfeit checks within just a few months from April to October 2022.

Goodwin is now scheduled to be sentenced for the scheme on November, 7, 2024 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

The case is still being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

Recent Local Utah Stories

• No boom! Japanese WWII grenade forces Clinton home evacuations

  Jeff Tavss

• 14-year-old identified as victim in fatal shooting; 5 suspects arrested

  Michael Martin

• Utah Valley University team takes first place in airport design competition

  Michael Martin

• Salt Lake City ranks in top ten for largest over-65 labor force

  Michael Martin