Manatee County Sheriff's Office takes down large-scale church check-fraud ring

Eight people have been arrested in connection with a large-scale check fraud scheme involving fraudulent activity at least 17 churches in Manatee County between September 2025 and May 2026.

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation in December 2025 after a pastor at Harvest United Methodist Church in Lakewood Ranch reported a significant decrease in mail. Parishioners had begun questioning whether their monthly tithe checks had arrived and several later discovered their checks had been stolen and deposited into other individuals' bank accounts.

What began as one church's report grew into a multi-month investigation that identified more than 20 suspects who detectives determined stole checks mailed by church parishioners and deposited them, unaltered, into their own personal bank accounts. Many of the deposits were made through mobile banking, allowing the activity to go largely undetected.

Parishioners believed their monthly contributions were reaching their intended churches, while the churches often had no immediate reason to suspect that individual checks were missing. Detectives have identified 66 victims in Manatee County and 107 stolen checks, resulting in confirmed losses of over $72,000.

An additional seven local victims and seven checks remain unconfirmed, representing another $1,800 in potential losses. The investigation has also identified significant losses involving victims outside Manatee County, with 268 stolen checks and nearly $194,000 in confirmed losses.

A joint investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, continues as detectives work to identify additional victims and hold those responsible accountable.

The following eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the investigation: Yucmercy Espinosa Obregon, Luis Miguel Sanchez Santos, Lisaida Castro Gonzalez, Ismery Ferrer Alonso, Luis Enrique Valdes Camejo, Dayanis Leon Hernandez, Duvier Hernandez Canizarez, and Isidro Gonzalez Gomez

The suspects face charges including organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, uttering a forged instrument, and criminal use of personal identification. MCSO says detectives have active arrest warrants for an additional seven individuals, and efforts to locate and arrest the remaining subjects are ongoing. Some are believed to be in the Miami area, while at least one has been confirmed to be in Cuba.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reminds residents to monitor their bank accounts and mailed checks closely, particularly when sending payments or donations through the mail. Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this scheme is urged to contact the Sheriff's Office.