Data minimization, a core data privacy principle, means collecting and retaining only the personal data that’s absolutely necessary to fulfill a specific purpose. Companies collect data for a multitude of reasons, primarily to gain a deeper understanding of their customers, improve their business operations, and make better decisions. Or to commit fraud. Jalen Tylee Hill created a fake solar panel installation company recruiting page online from which he stole the identities of 28 individuals, including their driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, birth certificates, instructional permits and other documents depicting personally identifiable information. All this as part of a bigger scheme.
In December 2021, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from a local church about mail theft and forged checks. During the investigation it was discovered that numerous checks had been stolen out of mailboxes at residential and commercial locations in Georgia. The checks were then forged and deposited into other bank accounts. Turns out, Hills was altering the checks with computer software by having the “Pay To” designation changed stolen identities at his disposal or co-conspirators that he recruited via Facebook. Hill directed the recruits to deposit the stolen, forged or duplicated checks into their own bank accounts on condition that they would split half the funds.
Using hundreds of pieces of mail and the identities of his co-conspirators and the solar panel prospects’ PII, Hill participated in at least 68 incidents of bank fraud resulting in an intended loss of approximately $165,743.68.
On June 4, 2025, Hill was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. The court will determine the restitution he must pay later.
Great job by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in this case.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Americus man sentenced for leading bank fraud and identity theft scheme” published by WALB News 10 on June 4, 2025.
The ringleader of a bank fraud and aggravated identity theft scheme was sentenced to federal prison on Wednesday, June 4. According to a press release, Jalen Tylee Hill, a.k.a. “Roscoe Hill,” 26, of Americus, was sentenced to serve 81 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The release said that the restitution would be determined at a later date. On May 14, Hill pled guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail.
