A Miami man faces a long prison sentence for a massive check fraud scheme targeting an elderly victim.
The Scheme
Michel Duarte Suarez, a Cuban national, pleaded guilty to stealing roughly $803,000 from an 82-year-old’s bank account. The crime spanned four months. Suarez, while living in Panama, forged checks mimicking the victim’s signature. He then mailed these checks to accomplices in South Florida. These accomplices cashed the checks and wired half the proceeds to Suarez’s Miami business, Online Electronics.
The Arrest and Sentencing
Suarez bragged about the scheme to an informant in March 2022. He was arrested in Panama in January 2025 and extradited to the US. He’s facing up to 30 years in prison, plus a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. His sentencing is scheduled for September 29th, 2025, in Miami.