Jackson man sentenced for conspiracy to commit bank fraud

From United States Attorney’s Office/Southern District of Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (WDAM) - A Jackson man was sentenced Thursday to a month more than five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Ronald Gardner, 51, was sentenced in United States District Court in Jackson.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Gardner and his co-conspirator, Anthony Craig Myrick, opened an account at a Jackson bank in another person’s name in September 2022.

Gardner and Myrick deposited several counterfeit United States Treasury checks in the account at various bank branches in the Jackson metro area and withdrew the cash before the checks were determined to be counterfeit.

Gardner admitted to manufacturing the counterfeit Treasury checks and creating a false identification card using another person’s name and identity.

The Court found that, as part of the scheme, 10 or more victims had their personal identifying information used unlawfully or without authority.

Gardner and Myrick were indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 22, 2023.

Myrick pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2023, and Gardner pleaded guilty on Feb. 2.

Myrick was sentenced on March 11 to two years and two months in prison.

Both defendants were ordered to pay restitution to the bank as part of their sentences.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis made Thursday’s announcement.

The U.S. Secret Service and Rankin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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