A man from South Florida has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for his involvement in a global scheme that stole millions of dollars from American consumers’ bank accounts, according to the Justice Department.
Michael Young, 44, of Hollywood, Florida, received a 72-month sentence on Monday from United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi. Young had previously pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
“Global criminal groups use U.S.-based individuals to exploit our nation’s banking system and launder money stolen from innocent victims,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for helping to bring this criminal to justice. We must and shall be as relentless in using every legal tool available to punish these individuals.”
“This sentence holds accountable yet another member of a transnational criminal network that stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes are designed to be difficult to detect – spanning multiple jurisdictions and relying on layers of conspirators to obscure their operations – making them especially harmful to victims who often do not realize they have been targeted until it is too late. With 22 defendants charged in four districts, this prosecution reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantle every layer of criminal enterprises that prey on Americans, no matter how far their operations reach.”
Court documents show that Young was part of an enterprise responsible for stealing millions from consumer bank accounts across the United States by using “lead lists” containing victims’ banking information—some sourced from payday loan applications—to make unauthorized debits. Members falsely told banks that transactions were authorized and used shell entities along with money laundering techniques to hide their actions.
Young worked for a co-conspirator based in Southern California who managed domestic operations, including obtaining lead lists, setting up U.S. banking relationships, and coordinating nominal owners for shell companies. He later replicated the scheme independently.
So far, authorities have charged 22 people and convicted seven related to this operation.
The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation into this case. Prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith B. Healy.
The Justice Department encourages individuals to monitor their financial statements regularly for unauthorized charges and report any suspicious activity either online at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or by calling 877-FTC-HELP.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California serves more than 19 million residents across seven counties while focusing on prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil matters for the government. The office also supports community outreach programs centered on victim assistance and public education and works with law enforcement agencies at all levels to ensure public safety.
