Second Jacksonville Man Arrested On Bank Fraud And Theft Of Mail Charges

Jacksonville, Florida - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jonathan Benavide Hidalgo (26, Jacksonville) with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit theft of mail, and theft of mail. If convicted, Hidalgo faces up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, up to 5 years for the theft of mail and conspiracy to commit theft of mail counts, and payment of restitution to the victims he and his co-defendant, Frank Anthony Acanda, defrauded. Federal law enforcement arrested Acanda on December 13, 2023.

According to the indictment, Hidalgo, Acanda, and others drove around areas of Fleming Island, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine and stole large volumes of mail from residential and business mailboxes over several months. After opening the mail and stealing checks and money orders, Hidalgo, Acanda, and others acting on their behalf, deposited the items into bank accounts controlled by them and then used ATMs to immediately withdraw cash. In some instances, the co-defendants altered the stolen checks by increasing the amount of the stolen checks to maximize the amount of money they could withdraw from ATMs.

An 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 the Clay County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Jacksonville Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.