Memphis, TN – A federal judge in Memphis sentenced Danville, Illinois native Joseph Willis, 44, to more than two years in prison for bank fraud. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Willis was living in Memphis when he and several co-conspirators executed a scheme to deposit and cash stolen United States Treasury checks. Between April and August 2018, Willis and others deposited or attempted to deposit no fewer than six stolen checks, totaling $150,657.26. The United States Postal Inspection Service began investigating Willis and found his fingerprints on multiple stolen U.S. Treasury checks. Investigators also obtained camera footage from several local banks that showed him depositing the stolen checks.