Four men thought they were on the verge of a massive payday, but their scheme to cash a U.S. Treasury tax refund check worth nearly $28 million ended abruptly in a South Florida restaurant and not with a deposit slip.
Carlos Manuel Villaneuva, 37, of Hialeah, Florida, along with Eric Renard Bedford, 44, and John Ryan Boxie, 43, both of Houston, and Jorge Cruz Garcia, 30, of Katy, Texas, were arrested on November 10 after allegedly attempting to cash a tax refund check totaling a stunning $27,910,676.69. The check was intended for a business in Richmond, Virginia.
According to a criminal complaint, the elaborate plot began when Villanueva, who allegedly had access to the check, reached out to a man he believed could help him cash the government funds—a man he referred to as “Banker.”…