Man accused of using stolen IDs to pilfer $450K from 36 banks

A Florida man is accused of using 20 fraudulent names or stolen identities to steal nearly $450,000 from 36 banks in west-central Florida, authorities said.

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According to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, James Joseph Scannapieco, 45, of Tampa, was arrested on Nov. 9 and charged with scheming to defraud and fraudulent use of personal identification information.

Pinellas County online court records also indicate that Scannapieco is wanted in Hillsborough, Charlotte and Lake counties on charges that included grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to an arrest affidavit, Scannapieco executed the alleged fraud in September and October and occurred at several Fifth Third banks, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The banks targeted were located in the Pinellas County cities of Clearwater, Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg, and amounts allegedly stolen ranged from $35,000 to $215,000, according to WTVT.

The Times reported that one affidavit indicated that Scannapieco “has conducted himself in an ongoing systematic course of actions with the intent to obtain money from banks using fraudulent practices with stolen identities.”

Scannapieco was arrested after allegedly attempting to use a fraudulent ID for a second time at a Fifth Third Bank in Clearwater, WTVT reported. The victim and the bank had flagged the false ID for fraudulent use, and the victim indicated they had not given permission to anyone else to use the identification, according to the television station.

Scannapieco was arrested and booked at the Pinellas County Jail, Bail has been set at $149,200, according to online booking records.