U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg announced the arrest of Levelle Joseph Harris, 38, of Kissimmee, Fla., on an indictment charging him with four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Harris faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. Harris is also facing a forfeiture order of $651,432, which represents the total amount of proceeds obtained by Harris from the wire fraud scheme. A federal grand jury indicted Harris on Aug. 6.
According to court documents, between Feb. 7, 2022, and Jan. 31, 2023, Harris devised a scheme to defraud by obtaining a mortgage through false representations. Harris then used the proceeds from the fraudulently obtained mortgage to purchase a residence that was subject to federal criminal forfeiture. Harris fraudulently obtained more than $650,000 as part of the scheme.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Nowalk. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Harrington is handling the forfeiture.