Georgia man faces 30 years in prison for bank fraud, passport fraud, aggravated identity theft

OCALA, Fla. — A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando investigation led to a 15-count superseding indictment charging a Georgia man with bank fraud, passport fraud and aggravated identity theft.

If convicted, Gary Dale Thrasher, 56, faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on the bank fraud counts, a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment for the passport fraud offenses, and a two-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft.

According to the superseding indictment, between May and June 2023, Thrasher obtained and used, or attempted to use, fraudulent identification documents and a means of identification of others to withdraw cash from four different federally insured financial institutions within the Middle District of Florida.

A superseding indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by HSI Orlando, the Ocala Police Department, the Wildwood Police Department, the Leesburg Police Department and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.