A federal judge has sentenced an Atlanta man to nearly six years in prison after identifying him as the mastermind behind a large-scale identity theft and check fraud operation that targeted businesses across central and southern Illinois.
Traveon H. Reese, 31, received a 70-month federal prison sentence after admitting he led a conspiracy involving stolen mail, forged commercial checks, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals to carry out the scheme.
According to court records, the operation ran from March through May 2023 and began with the theft of business checks directly from the mail. Reese and his co-conspirators used the stolen checks to obtain banking information, then produced counterfeit versions complete with forged signatures of legitimate business owners.
Rather than entering banks themselves, investigators said the group recruited others—often approaching individuals at homeless shelters or bus terminals—to cash the fraudulent checks on their behalf.
“This conspiracy victimized numerous hardworking people across central and southern Illinois by trying to cash bogus checks belonging to legitimate businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. He added that when the scheme succeeded, local banks were left “on the hook,” resulting in significant financial losses.
Authorities said the group targeted financial institutions in more than a dozen communities, including Champaign, Effingham, Waterloo, and Collinsville. In total, the ring attempted to cash 26 fraudulent checks with an intended value exceeding $93,000, successfully stealing approximately $46,842.
“Identity theft and bank fraud can financially decimate a business owner’s life,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly, whose agency led the investigation alongside the FBI.
Reese pleaded guilty in August 2025 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. His 70-month federal sentence will not begin immediately, as he must first serve a 20-year prison term for similar state convictions in Iowa.
Reese is the fourth member of the fraud ring to be sentenced. Co-defendants Brandon R. Cooperwood, DeMarcos M. Miller, and T’ziah T. Thomas, all from Georgia, previously received prison sentences ranging from 36 to 42 months. A fifth defendant, Joshua C. Pruitt, is scheduled to be sentenced on February 26 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.