WATERLOO, Iowa—A Chicago man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a scheme that used credit unions in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids to cash stolen U.S. Treasury checks, according to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.
Irvin Lantern, 67, was sentenced to up to two years in federal prison on charges of forgery and identity theft in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. He was also ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release, the Courier reported.
Court records indicate Lantern played a minor role in a larger operation involving $364,317 in stolen Treasury checks deposited in Iowa between August and November 2023. Authorities allege Lantern was introduced to the scheme’s leader, Tyron Harris, through family connections. As part of the fraud, Harris arranged for fake driver’s licenses to be created using Lantern’s photo and other individuals’ names, according to the Courier.
In September 2023, Harris and Lantern traveled from Illinois to Cedar Falls, where Lantern used a fake ID bearing the name of a Jacksonville, Florida, man to open an account at Veridian Credit Union. He then deposited a $33,000 Treasury check issued in the Florida man's name. Over the following days, money was withdrawn from the account at casino ATMs. Records show Lantern received $5,000 for his role, while Harris took the remainder.
Two months later, in November, the pair returned to Iowa to open additional fraudulent accounts at Veridian Credit Union locations in Cedar Rapids, this time using fake Illinois driver’s licenses under different names. Credit union staff became suspicious and contacted law enforcement, leading to their arrest, according to the Courier.
Also charged in the scheme is Edgar Delgado, 31, of Rosemead, California, who allegedly used a fake Alabama driver’s license to open an account in Cedar Rapids and deposit a stolen Treasury check for $112,381 in September 2023. When police arrived at the credit union, Delgado reportedly fled.
Delgado pleaded guilty to federal forgery and identity theft charges in June 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.