A Georgia man who participated in a scheme to defraud banks in multiple states, including Montana, was sentenced earlier this month to 57 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
The defendant was also ordered to pay $161,401.17 in restitution.
Stanford Wilvin Lightfoot, 33, Atlanta, had previously pleaded guilty in November 2024 to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the sentencing.
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According to court documents, for approximately five months in 2023, Lightfoot was part of a large fraud ring operating out of Atlanta. The group traveled to various states, including Montana, Maine, and Missouri, to carry out their scheme.
Once in a target state, Lightfoot and his co-conspirators would recruit local homeless individuals who possessed valid identification. These individuals were then taken to local banks and provided with fraudulent checks drawn on real accounts but bearing forged signatures. These forged checks served as a means of identity theft.
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The recruited individuals would then attempt to cash the fraudulent checks. If successful, the money would be turned over to Lightfoot and his associates. If the individuals were apprehended by law enforcement, they were reportedly abandoned by the fraud ring to face the consequences alone.
In Montana, court documents allege that Lightfoot targeted multiple banks in Belgrade, Bozeman, and Livingston. He utilized local homeless individuals to cash forged checks exceeding $20,000 in value in these locations.
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The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the FBI, the Livingston Police Department, the Belgrade Police Department, and the Bozeman Police Department.
