PHOENIX, Ariz. — A 31-year-old man from Goodyear has been sentenced to 108 months in prison for orchestrating a complex, multi-year check fraud and money laundering scheme that stole nearly $8.5 million from businesses across the country.
Cory Jermaine White, Jr. was sentenced on July 16 by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi. He was also ordered to pay $8,446,858.31 in restitution after pleading guilty in December 2024 to multiple felony counts, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Six of White’s co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty and received prison sentences of varying lengths.
Elaborate Check Theft Scheme Exploited U.S. Mail System
Federal investigators say the scheme involved stealing legitimate business checks from the U.S. Mail, then laundering the funds through fraudulent shell companies and fake bank accounts created to mimic the real payees.
White and his co-conspirators allegedly followed a multi-step process:
A co-conspirator would steal a piece of mail containing a check made out to a legitimate business.
Another conspirator would register a sham business using the same name as the intended recipient, often in a different state to avoid suspicion.
Using the false corporate documents, they would open a new bank account in the name of the fake business.
The stolen check would be deposited into this account, and the money would be quickly withdrawn or transferred, splitting the funds among the group.
“The fact this defendant and his co-conspirators would think that stealing business checks from the U.S. Mail and scheming ways to deposit them for their own use is mind-boggling,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “Financial crimes like this erode public trust and damage hardworking businesses.”
Federal Prosecutors Vow to Crack Down on Fraud
“This individual stole nearly $8.5 million and used the funds for personal luxury,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “His crimes didn’t just hurt individual businesses — they jeopardized the integrity of the financial system as a whole. This sentence is a clear message: financial crime will be aggressively prosecuted.”
Investigation and Prosecution
The case was investigated by the FBI Phoenix Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Rapp of the District of Arizona led the prosecution.
Authorities emphasize that financial crimes continue to be a top priority for federal law enforcement, especially schemes that exploit the postal system and banking infrastructure.
