Montgomery man sentenced to federal prison for identity theft, cashing stolen checks

A Montgomery man has been sentenced to 64 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to bank fraud and identity theft.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross has announced the sentence against 40-year-old William Hayden Searcy.

Ross says that according to the plea agreement and other court records, in March and April of 2022, Searcy cashed fraudulent checks at various locations around Montgomery.

Ross says details discussed during Searcy’s sentencing hearing revealed that Searcy stole checks from mailboxes, washed the checks using chemicals that removed ink, wrote new information to make the checks payable to his accounts and then cashed the altered checks.

Ross says Searcy also used the identities from some of the stolen checks to print checks of his own.

The federal judge also ordered Searcy to pay $8,203.42 in restitution, Ross says.

A co-defendant, 27-year-old Tyler Scott Kidd of Millbrook has pleaded guilty to bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, Ross says, adding that Kidd will be jointly liable with Searcy for the restitution amount.

“Mail theft and check fraud are nationwide problems,” Ross said in a statement. “Although the Postal Service works diligently to ensure that mail is delivered securely, individuals frequently find ways to exploit the mail system.  Individuals should be mindful of the receptacles used to mail checks and check bank accounts regularly for suspicious transactions.”

— Information from the Office of the U.S. Attorney, Middle District of Alabama