MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — The Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) arrested a Miami man after he attempted to deposit a $1 million fraudulent check at a Stuart bank.
Marc Anthony Taylor, 38, was arrested Aug. 15 by MCSO, and faces multiple charges, after authorities say he tried to deposit the fraudulent check at MidFlorida Credit Union.
Authorities say on Aug. 7, Taylor used the identity "Greg Slyvan Cooper" to try to cash the $1 million check, which was drawn from JP Morgan Chase Bank and addressed to the Orlando company Cooper Legacy Builders LLC.
The next day, a bank employee alerted MCSO of the fraudulent activity, and another bank employee informed investigators that Taylor had established an account on June 18, under the Cooper name, using a Washington drivers license with Taylor's photo but Cooper's info.
Investigators found Taylor had also established Cooper Legacy Builders LLC on June 18, using all of Cooper's info. A search of Cooper's name led investigators to a white male with a valid Florida drivers license.
On Aug. 15, MCSO was again called to MidFlorida Credit Union regarding fraud, and Taylor was detained in the parking lot of a gas station nearby. The arrest report says Taylor only stated that he "made a bad decision."
The real Greg Slyvan Cooper was contacted by MCSO and he told them there was a police report filed in Orange County regarding Taylor's fraudulent activity. Authorities say Taylor was also trying to open accounts under Cooper's name in Sarasota and Bradenton.
Taylor faces two counts of uttering false instruments, as well as the following charges:
- Scheme to defraud to obtain property worth $50,000 or more
- Possession of a similitude of a driver's license
- Possession of a driver's license or identification card with an altered date of birth
- Use or possession of identification of another person without consent
Taylor is currently in Martin County Jail.
Investigators say Taylor appears to be running similar scams across Florida.
