Orlando Man Who Eluded Authorities for 7 Years Sentenced for Fraud, Identity Theft
Sean White, who eluded authorities for seven years has been sentenced to prison for fraud and aggravated identity theft. Photo by Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
Sean White, 46, pled guilty on Aug. 1 before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron for the offenses, which occurred from January to March 2016. White pled guilty on April 10. He had evaded arrest since being charged for the scheme but was found in 2023 living under the name of one of his identity theft victims.
White and accomplices Jamie Fort and Sena Howell used names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers of identity theft victims to defraud several Orlando-area financial institutions, according to his indictment. The trio created counterfeit driver’s licenses to secure financing in victims’ names from federally insured banks. They purchased three luxury vehicles with this financing and then sold the cars – two Mercedes-Benz and a Cadillac Escalade – for cash, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The fraudsters also used counterfeit driver’s licenses to obtain credit to purchase other items in Orlando. Howell was sentenced in March 2017 to 27 months in prison. Fort was sentenced in October 2017 to five years and five months.
According to the sentencing order and plea agreement, obtained by The Daily Muck, White’s 65-month sentence includes 41 months for fraud and 24 months for aggravated identity theft. Under the terms of the plea deal, the government dismissed seven other counts of fraud and identity theft.
He will serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence.
In addition to those conditions, White was forced to forfeit an HP laptop, ZTE cell phone, and Lexar SD card that were seized during a search in March 2016. These items were used in White’s illegal scheme, according to the court’s order of forfeiture.
While White’s arrest and sentencing bring to a close this particular case of fraud and identity theft, the Middle District of Florida has been busy prosecuting similar cases. One recent case is William Fisher, 60, of Melbourne, who was sentenced to 3½ years for making $1000 in purchases on an unauthorized debit card and stealing mail from U.S. Post Office boxes, according to a previous press release.
Identity theft is a leading complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, and Florida has historically been a top source of complaints, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
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