A federal judge has sentenced Frank Anthony Acanda, 27, of Jacksonville, to one year and one day in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Acanda was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims he and his co-defendant, Jonathan Benavide Hidalgo, 27, defrauded.
According to court documents, Acanda, Hidalgo, and others stole large volumes of mail from residential and business mailboxes in Fleming Island, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine over several months. They opened the stolen mail, took checks and money orders, and deposited them into bank accounts they controlled. The group then used ATMs to withdraw cash immediately. In some cases, they altered the checks to increase their value before cashing them.
Hidalgo pleaded guilty on September 5, 2024, and is scheduled for sentencing on February 28, 2025.
The case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Jacksonville Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Frein is prosecuting the case.
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