Jacksonville man faces up to 30 years in prison, accused of bank fraud and mail theft

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A second Jacksonville man has been arrested and charged in federal court on Wednesday for bank fraud and theft of mail charges.

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Jonathan Benavide Hidalgo, 26, and Frank Anthony Acanda are accused of driving around areas of Fleming Island, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine stealing large volumes of mail from residential and business mailboxes over several months.

READ: INVESTIGATES: Thieves attack postal carriers to steal your mail

“After opening the mail and stealing checks and money orders, Hidalgo, Acanda, and others acting on their behalf, deposited the items into bank accounts controlled by them and then used ATMs to immediately withdraw cash,” the DOJ said in a statement. “In some instances, the co-defendants altered the stolen checks by increasing the amount of the stolen check to maximize the amount of money they could withdraw from ATMs.”

The DOJ makes it clear that an indictment is “merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.”

READ: 2 men arrested, found with gun and stolen mailbox key after high speed chase in St. Johns County

This case was investigated by Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service -- Jacksonville Office.

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