A Suwanee man was sentenced in federal court to 17 years in prison for leading a nationwide fraudulent check and identity theft scheme that targeted banks across the United States, according to court records.
Darrell C. Roseborough, 51, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Grey Kays to 204 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole. The court also ordered Roseborough to pay $634,806.93 in restitution to victims.
Although Roseborough lived in Suwanee, the case was prosecuted in the Western District of Missouri because portions of the criminal activity occurred there, federal officials said.
Roseborough pleaded guilty Aug. 14, 2025, to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Roseborough led a group that traveled across multiple states cashing fraudulent checks using stolen personal information. Federal authorities say organized check-fraud schemes often rely on several individuals working in specialized roles, including identity theft, document production and in-person transactions at banks.
In this case, investigators said members of the group used stolen identities — including names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers — to open fraudulent bank accounts or gain access to existing ones without victims’ knowledge. Counterfeit checks were created to appear legitimate and were often made payable to the identity theft victims.
Prosecutors said Roseborough produced the fraudulent checks and played a central role in creating and distributing counterfeit driver’s licenses and other false identification to match the stolen identities. The false documents were then used by “check passers,” individuals recruited to enter banks and cash or deposit fraudulent checks.
To avoid detection, members of the scheme traveled to banks in different cities and states. Roseborough used FedEx to ship fraudulent documents to locations where the operation was active, while co-defendants Sheldon Samuels and Derrick Walker distributed the materials to Tambria Davis and other participants who carried out the in-bank transactions.
Federal officials said such schemes allow criminal operations to move quickly between locations and can result in significant financial losses to banks, as well as long-term credit and financial damage to identity theft victims.
“Mr. Roseborough led a group that traveled far and wide to defraud financial institutions all over the country,” said Stephen Cyrus, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Division. “The FBI will continue to work to ensure financial fraudsters are held accountable for their actions.”
Court records also show Roseborough has a prior federal conviction. In 2001, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in the Western District of North Carolina for his role in a similar scheme.
“This defendant has repeatedly decided to break the law and engage in criminal activity, and his lengthy sentence reflects those decisions,” said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price.
Several co-defendants have already been sentenced. Samuels pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to 78 months in prison on Jan. 21, 2026. Davis was sentenced to time served on Jan. 27, 2026, after being held in federal custody since April 2024. Walker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud on Nov. 18, 2025, and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman.
