JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A second offender in a string of mail thefts that hit residents and businesses in Fleming Island, Jacksonville and St. Augustine has pleaded guilty.
Jonathan Benavide Hidalgo, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit theft of mail, and one count of theft of mail. He faces up to 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud crime and up to five years for the mail theft charges.
His co-defendant, Frank Anthony, 27, pleaded guilty in June. He will be sentenced Sept. 30.
Court documents say Hidalgo and Acanda, along with others, stole large volumes of mail over a period of several months. They stole checks and money orders, then deposited them into their own bank accounts and withdrew the cash.
At times, Hidalgo and Acanda altered the stolen checks by increasing the amount to reflect a larger amount.
