South Florida Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Global Scheme that Stole Millions of Dollars from American Consumers

LOS ANGELES - A South Florida man has been sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for participating in a transnational scheme to steal millions of dollars from American consumers' bank accounts, the Justice Department announced today.

Michael Young, 44, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced Monday afternoon by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi.

Young pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

"Global criminal groups use U.S.-based individuals to exploit our nation's banking system and launder money stolen from innocent victims," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. "I applaud our law enforcement partners for helping to bring this criminal to justice. We must and shall be as relentless in using every legal tool available to punish these individuals."

"This sentence holds accountable yet another member of a transnational criminal network that stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans across the country," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "These schemes are designed to be difficult to detect - spanning multiple jurisdictions and relying on layers of conspirators to obscure their operations - making them especially harmful to victims who often do not realize they have been targeted until it is too late. With 22 defendants charged in four districts, this prosecution reflects the Criminal Division's commitment to dismantle every layer of criminal enterprises that prey on Americans, no matter how far their operations reach."

According to court documents, Young was part of a criminal enterprise responsible for stealing millions of dollars from the bank accounts of unknowing consumers across the United States. The enterprise obtained "lead lists" that contained victims' banking information - some of which derived from payday loan applications - and used it to make unauthorized debits against victims' bank accounts.

Members of the enterprise falsely claimed to banks that victims had authorized the transactions. The enterprise also used numerous shell entities and money laundering techniques to conceal its actions.

For years, Young worked for a co-conspirator based in Southern California who ran the domestic side of the operation, assisting foreign co-conspirators with obtaining lead lists, establishing U.S. banking relations and coordinating nominal owners or "signers" for shell entities. Through that work, Young participated in nearly every aspect of the scheme. Young later replicated the scheme himself to make more money.

In total, 22 defendants have been charged and seven have been convicted in connection with this scheme. Notices of upcoming hearings may be found here.

The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith B. Healy of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section prosecuted this case.

The Department of Justice urges individuals to be on the lookout for unauthorized debits to their accounts. Regularly check your bank, credit card and other financial statements and contact your financial institution if you see a charge you do not recognize. Report any fraudulent debit you identify to law enforcement. Reports may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or at 877-FTC-HELP.