TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Michael Scott Hillwig, a 59-year-old from Camden, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false use or forgery of a passport, according to a press release from the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin emphasized the importance of protecting personal identifying information online, stating, “As this defendant has learned, my office is just as relentless in our pursuit of criminals like him, and we aggressively prosecute such frauds to the fullest extent to achieve justice for the victims of these crimes.” Court documents reveal that in May 2023, Hillwig unlawfully obtained personal identification information, including names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and passport card numbers. He used this information to fraudulently withdraw funds from multiple victims’ bank accounts by presenting U.S. passport cards with his photograph but the victims’ details.
Hillwig traveled to financial institutions in South Carolina and throughout Florida, including Bonifay, Niceville, and Winter Garden, to execute his scheme. He faces up to thirty years in prison for bank fraud, up to ten years for false use or forgery of a passport, and a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft…