NEW JERSEY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO BANK FRAUD, AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT AND FALSE USE OR FORGERY OF A PASSPORT

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Michael Scott Hillwig, 59, of Camden, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false use or forgery of a passport. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "It is of vital importance to raise awareness about the vulnerability of our personal identifying information online, which fraudsters relentlessly pursue as they seek to enrich themselves by exploiting their victims. As this defendant has learned, my office is just as relentless in our pursuit of criminals like him, and we aggressively prosecute such frauds to the fullest extent to achieve justice for the victims of these crimes."

Court documents reflect that in May 2023, the defendant unlawfully obtained personal identification information of other people, including their names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and passport card numbers. He then fraudulently withdrew funds from the bank accounts of multiple victims by presenting U.S. passport cards bearing his photograph, but with the personal identifying information of the victims. During the course of this fraud scheme, Hillwig travelled to financial institutions in South Carolina and throughout Florida, including in Bonifay, Niceville, and Winter Garden, where he would provide bank tellers with a victim's social security number and the fraudulent U.S. passport card in order to make withdrawals from their bank accounts.

Hillwig faces up to thirty years' imprisonment for the bank fraud counts, up to ten years' imprisonment as to false use or forgery of a passport, and a mandatory two years' imprisonment consecutive to any other prison sentence as to aggravated identity theft counts.

The case involved a joint investigation by U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, and Holmes County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 2, 2026, at 2:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before United States District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.