A Venezuelan national residing in Kissimmee, Florida, has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for masterminding a sophisticated bank fraud operation involving shell companies and counterfeit passports.
U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza sentenced Nerio Alberto Ortega Delgado, 45, to 33 months behind bars this week. The sentencing follows Ortega Delgado’s guilty plea on September 4, 2025, to charges of bank fraud and passport fraud.
The Complex Fraud Operation
Federal prosecutors revealed that the defendant’s scheme was highly elaborate, going far beyond typical financial crimes. According to investigators, Ortega Delgado:
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Manufactured fake checks.
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Used a counterfeit foreign passport to establish an entirely false identity.
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Incorporated a shell company using the alias.
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Opened fraudulent commercial bank accounts to facilitate the theft.
The core of the operation relied on speed: Ortega Delgado would deposit the forged checks and immediately try to withdraw the cash before the banks could flag the transactions as fraudulent. He also allegedly enlisted other individuals, paying them to use their personal bank accounts to cycle the stolen funds.
Authorities estimate that Ortega Delgado attempted to steal more than $867,000 through the illicit operation before it was successfully dismantled.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Del Mastro.