Florida Man’s Audacious Crime Spree: From Fake Passports to Stolen Millions
Manley Vanel Neptune, a 33-year old resident of Lake Worth, Florida, has found himself in a tangle of federal charges. Already facing accusations of aggravated identity theft, Neptune added fuel to the fire with brazen attempts to defraud banks using a counterfeit U.S. passport.
Neptune’s alleged scheme involved opening fraudulent accounts under a false name. His actions escalated when he allegedly enlisted two female associates to help deposit a stolen U.S. Treasury check worth a staggering $2.1 million dollars into one of the fraudulent accounts. All of this occurred while Neptune was out on bond for the initial identity theft case.
Neptune now faces potential decades in federal prison if convicted on the mounting charges of bank fraud conspiracy, fraudulent U.S. passport use, and aggravated identity theft.
Original Pressreleases
MIAMI – While on bond in an aggravated identity theft matter, Manley Vanel Neptune, 33, of Lake Worth, was charged in a second federal case with participating in a conspiracy to obtain over $2.1 million dollars by depositing a stolen U.S. Treasury check into a fraudulent bank account.
According to allegations in the initial complaint, on Feb. 2, Neptune attempted to open a fraudulent account at a First Horizon Bank in Lighthouse Point, Florida, by presenting a counterfeit U.S. passport card in the name of “W.H.” (Case No. 24-mj-6052). Neptune was arrested by law enforcement. On Feb. 15, Neptune was indicted for using a counterfeit passport and aggravated identify theft (Case No. 24-cr-60028). Neptune was released on bond.
Neptune was then charged in a second complaint when further investigation revealed that on Feb. 1, Neptune successfully opened a fraudulent account at a Truist Bank in Pompano Beach, Florida by using the same counterfeit U.S. passport card, in the name of “W.H.,” that Neptune used at First Horizon Bank the following day. On Feb. 20, while on bond, Neptune caused two female co-conspirators to deposit, into the fraudulent account at Truist Bank, a stolen U.S. Treasury check in the amount of $2,172,687.18 that was issued to “W.G.H.” The second criminal complaint (Case No. 24-mj-6093) charges Neptune with participating in the bank fraud conspiracy.
On March 7, Neptune had his initial appearance in federal court in Case No. 24-mj-6093. The parties stipulated to pretrial detention with the right to revisit. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for March 21.
If convicted of the bank fraud conspiracy, Neptune faces up to 30 years in federal prison. If convicted of using a fraudulent U.S. passport, Neptune faces up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted of aggravated identity theft, Neptune faces a mandatory minimum term of 2 years in federal prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other mitigating, aggravating, and statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, made the announcement.
HSI Ft. Lauderdale investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph A. Cooley is prosecuting it.
An indictment and complaint contain mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 24-mj-6039 and 24-cr-60028.
