IRS and U.S. Attorney Convict Fraudsters in Montana

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - In Missoula federal court this week, 24-year-old Dyonte Scott of Illinois was sentenced to over five years in federal prison after confessing that he attempted to defraud financial institutions in Bozeman while utilizing stolen identities and U.S. Treasure checks.

I spoke with Joe Sims, Public Affairs Officer with the IRS Denver Field Office about the successful prosecution and sentencing.

IRS Works With U.S. Attorney to Convict Two Men of Financial Fraud

“IRS Criminal Investigation is a law enforcement arm of the Internal Revenue Service, so we investigate Financial Crimes throughout the country,” began Sims. Dyontay Scott, the individual from Chicago, Illinois, was arrested and sentenced today to over five years in prison for attempting to cash a stolen Treasury check at a bank in Montana.”

Sims said Scott and his accomplice Lorenzo Botello are part of a sophisticated ring of thieves that target banks and other financial institutions.

Sims Said This is a Sophisticated Ring of Financial Thieves

“This is a nationwide network of individuals that travel throughout the United States attempting to cash multi-million dollar checks from the U.S. Treasury Department,” he said. “Scott had an accomplice with him, and that accomplice walked into the bank, attempted to set up an account, and if local law enforcement hadn’t been notified, they would have returned later and then withdrew the funds from that Treasury check.”

Sims said the two were attempting to cash a U.S. Treasury check worth over $1 million and said the defendants attempted to destroy evidence in the presence of law enforcement.

“Botello initially went to the financial institution to open up the accounts, and then when local law enforcement went and confronted Dante Scott, he had the check in his possession and attempted to destroy the evidence before he was taken into custody,” he said.

Sims said the IRS enjoys a successful relationship with Montana law enforcement, especially the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Sims Praised the Cooperation Between the IRS and the U.S. Attorney

“What's great about the state of Montana is that we have a great relationship with local law enforcement, in this case, initiated by the Bozeman Police Department and the connections they have with the financial institutions,” he said. “That's where we can get a lot of the tips and leads for those financial investigations, and that allows us to prosecute these individuals in federal court, with the cooperation of the local law enforcement officers.”

Scott was sentenced to five years and five months in federal prison, while his accomplice, Lorenzo Botello was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison, where no parole is available.