Georgia Man Sentenced in $1.37 Million Manatee County Fraud Scheme

A Georgia man involved in a sophisticated fraud scheme that cost Manatee County taxpayers nearly $1.4 million has been sentenced to six years in prison followed by 54 years of probation after a judge rejected requests for a lighter sentence.

Judge D. Ryan Felix sentenced 27-year-old Ezekiel Deshaun Chester on Friday after Chester pleaded no contest in December to charges of scheme to defraud and money laundering. The sentence came after prosecutors and defense attorneys presented sharply different views of Chester’s role in the crime and the appropriate punishment.

Manatee County Attorney Pamela D’Agostino urged the court to impose a substantial sentence, arguing the fraud represented a calculated betrayal of public trust and noting that most of the stolen taxpayer money remains unrecovered. According to the clerk’s office, approximately $510,000 of the $1.37 million taken in the scheme has been recovered.

Defense attorney Daphney Branham argued that Chester played a relatively minor role in the operation, maintained full-time employment and cooperated extensively with investigators. She requested a sentence that would allow him to continue working and make restitution payments.

Felix acknowledged several mitigating factors, including Chester’s lesser role in the conspiracy and the importance of maintaining employment to repay victims. However, he concluded that the severity of the crime outweighed those considerations. The judge described the operation as a sophisticated and elaborate scheme involving the theft of more than $1 million from a public institution.

Assistant State Attorney Justin Foster sought a sentence of 15 years in prison followed by 15 years of probation. Foster argued that while Chester was near the bottom of the criminal organization, the fraud depended on individuals willing to provide bank accounts and move stolen money. Prosecutors said the local case was part of a larger international operation in which hackers gained access to business email accounts, monitored communications and diverted payments through fraudulent wire transfers.

According to investigators, the fraud targeted the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Office in 2023. Officials believed they were communicating with representatives of Neal Land and Neighborhoods, a Lakewood Ranch development company expecting payment for work on the Fort Hamer Road extension in Parrish.

Authorities say a third party intercepted communications and posed as company representatives, convincing county officials to switch payment from a check to wire transfers. Fraudulent documents, including a falsified W-9 form and account verification paperwork, were provided to support the request.

The county subsequently sent two wire transfers totaling $1,370,631 to a Capital One account controlled by co-defendant Timothy Ledford. Investigators later discovered large withdrawals and transfers from the account and obtained surveillance images documenting the movement of funds. The scheme was uncovered when Neal Land representatives contacted the county to inquire about payment and learned the money had already been sent.

Chester and Ledford were arrested in Georgia in 2023 and extradited to Manatee County. Prosecutors said Chester connected Ledford with alleged co-defendant Ibrahima Biteye through a Telegram messaging group. Foster said Ledford supplied the bank accounts used in the scheme while Chester helped facilitate the connection.

During the sentencing hearing, Chester apologized and stated that he initially did not understand the full scope of the fraud. He testified that he received approximately $7,500 after cashing a $20,000 check tied to the operation.

Defense attorneys pointed to the sentence previously received by Ledford, who was ordered to serve 11 months and 29 days in jail, followed by probation after agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. However, prosecutors noted that Ledford is now facing allegations that he violated probation by failing to make required restitution payments.

Court records show Biteye remains in custody in Georgia on separate racketeering charges and is expected to be extradited to Manatee County once those proceedings conclude.

In addition to the prison term and lengthy probation, Felix prohibited Chester from working in positions involving control of third-party funds or fiduciary responsibilities. Under Florida law, Chester faced a maximum sentence of up to 60 years in prison. A future restitution hearing will determine how much he must repay for his role in the fraud.