JOHNS CREEK, GA — A 19-year-old from Johns Creek is facing serious fraud charges after allegedly attempting to orchestrate a multi-step scheme to defraud a major bank. Authorities say William Chadwick Jones opened a business account at a Synovus Bank branch in Alpharetta and deposited five counterfeit checks totaling nearly $550,000 in January.
Police in Columbus, where Synovus Bank is headquartered, say Jones used mobile deposit to cash the fake checks and then quickly moved the funds around using wire transfers, Zelle deposits, debit card purchases, and various payment apps.
Investigators also claim that Jones used some of the stolen funds to hire an attorney for a separate fraud case he was facing.
Johns Creek Police worked with Columbus authorities to track Jones down. He was arrested while driving a Porsche that he allegedly purchased with the stolen money.
Jones now faces multiple charges, and authorities are continuing to investigate the full scope of his fraudulent activities
WSBs Michelle Wright contributed to this story