A Tacoma resident, identified as Leon Letroy Anderson, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and about $100,000 in restitution, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice.

His Crime: Stealing a total of about $100,000 from 71 victims—”scores of businesses, both large and small, and three banks,” according to a sentencing memo written by Assistant United States Attorney Arlen Storm.

His Method: Between 2000 and 2008, Anderson legally changed his name a dozen times. “After the name change, Anderson would get a driver’s license in the new name, and use it and a false Social Security Number to open a bank account,” the USDOJ says. “He would inflate the bank account balance by depositing checks written on an account he had opened in his previous name. Before the checks could clear he would make purchases or withdraw cash.”

His Math: This only works out to about $8,500 a name, $1,400 a victim, and $11,000 a year—and this seems like, between all the paperwork and being on the lam, a full-time job. As much as having an extra $1,400 seems pretty awesome right now, this operation seems completely not worth the risk.

15 replies on “Man Changes Name 12 Times to Steal Money”

  3. Clearly the guy didn’t really understand his cost-to-profit ratio. However, after the first 3 or 4 name changes, the paperwork probably got easier and faster just through repetition.

  4. On the positive side, it seems that it was almost as easy for him to get caught as it was for him to rip poeple off.

    Negatively, how is this man going to pay the restitution, or is he just screwed for the rest of his life?

    Maybe when the war on drugs end our goverment can figure out how to prevent someone from getting away with crimes like this for even this length of time. I think changing his name more than once a year, let alone more than once at all, should have raised some red flags somewhere.

  5. This is a big issue. It took 12 times of money laundering before they found out that the 12 names belongs only to 1 person.?

    Sikat Ang Pinoy

  6. Wow. 2.25 years in prison, 5 years probation, and he’ll be in massive debt for the rest of his life. For writing bad checks. I’m gonna take a wild guess that Leon is black.

    Meanwhile, a white rabbi in Seattle gets a fine for killing a man and almost killing another woman a few years before.

  10. Did you all know that we had a President who lead our country into an illegal war while at the same time giving billions of dollars away to his cronies?

    Yeah, what this guy did was fucked up but frankly given what others have done and never been punished for this is small stuff.

  13. My mom’s friend used to forge checks. It was amazing how much time and effort she put into it. It was almost like an art form. Also, she was one of those people whom the thrill was half the fun. When she was finally caught, all my mom could do- shake her head. She could never understand why someone would put so much effort into crime, when a 9-5 was just easier.

  15. well to tell you all the truth it was not worth itnat all. but i was young and it was all fun now i am a grown man. would not even think about it today in fact i had already quit before the case even happened. no they didn’t catch me they caught somebody else who snitched. but at any rate do the crime do the time. i look foward to getting it over with. yes it was stupid but i think the the system is stupid for wasting money locking me up when i at anytime am willing to sit down with them and tell the how to stop the whole thing for good. but because they make so much money from it they won’t. yep and this is leon letroy anderson due to self surrender 3-10-2010 to englewood federal prison see u in 27 months. god bless u and urs. p.s. put some money on my books

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