New Gloucester Man Sentenced for Presenting Counterfeit Treasury Checks and Wire Fraud

Summary

Keith Mitchell, 39, of New Gloucester, Maine, was sentenced on August 31, 2026 by Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $104,464 in restitution, for passing counterfeit U.S. Treasury checks and wire fraud. From April through June 2024 he deposited 13 counterfeit Treasury checks totaling $83,632 that copied real checks issued to third parties but were made payable to him. In May 2021 he received $20,832 in Paycheck Protection Program funds on an application that falsely claimed a sole proprietorship with $100,000 in 2020 gross revenue, backed by a falsified tax return. He was on supervised release for a federal drug conviction when he deposited the counterfeit checks; that term was revoked and he received a further consecutive prison term.

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Full text

PORTLAND, Maine: A New Gloucester man was sentenced on August 31, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Portland for passing counterfeit U.S. Treasury checks and wire fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Keith Mitchell , 39, to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Mitchell was also ordered to pay $104,464 in restitution. Mitchell pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026. In addition, Mitchell was on supervised release for a federal drug conviction when he deposited the counterfeit checks. His term of supervised release was revoked and he was sentenced to 21months in prison, to be served consecutively. According to court records and statements made in court, Mitchell deposited 13 counterfeit U.S. Treasury checks totaling $83,632 into his bank account from April through June 2024. The checks contained the serial numbers and amounts of actual U.S. Treasury checks that had been issued to third parties, but were counterfeited to be made payable to Mitchell. In May 2021, Mitchell also received $20,832 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds based on a fraudulent PPP loan application. The application falsely claimed that Mitchell owned a sole proprietorship business that had earned gross revenue of $100,000 in 2020. Mitchell also submitted a falsified tax return in support of the application. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Paycheck Protection Program: The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the SBA that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs ###

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