One of the leaders of a crime ring that stole more than $10 million in government checks is set to spend the next 10 years in prison.
Milton Minter of Riverdale, who went by the name White Boi, was sentenced Wednesday in the Northern District of Georgia by U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten, according to prosecutors.
Minter, 32, pleaded guilty last May to theft of government money and aggravated identity theft charges.
“Minter was one of the leaders of a theft ring responsible for stealing over 6,000 checks,” U.S. Attorney John Horn said.
The checks were tax refunds and social security and veterans’ disability benefits, all taken from the mail.
“When criminals steal Treasury checks, they victimize senior citizens, the disabled, and veterans who depend on these funds for their well-being,” Horn said.
According to information presented in court, check cashers helped Minter, 32, cash the stolen checks at Wal-Mart and Kroger stores. They used fake driver’s licenses and forged names, Horn said. They also used other social security numbers, Horn said.
The scheme took place in at least nine other states: Alabama, Mississippi, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Kentucky, Iowa, Louisiana and Tennessee.
It allegedly involved 15 other people, including another suspected ring leader from Atlanta, Maurice Shuler, 27.
Eight of the 15 have pleaded guilty, and seven have been sentenced, Horn said. They were handed down jail terms spanning two to seven years.
Authorities from several federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, are still investigating.
Minter’s term will be followed by three years of supervised release, at which point he will be ordered to pay a $75,000 fine, Horn said.
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