A massive check fraud conspiracy resulted in the arrests of three gang members following a yearslong investigation, authorities announced on Tuesday.

The alleged crimes victimized 200 people and businesses in Polk County, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Back in June 2022, Polk County Sheriff’s office deputies responded to a call at a gas station resulting in the search for Tyler Jacob, a convicted felon known to be a member of the “Trap Boys” gang.

Although Jacob had tried to run away when he was apprehended, he was found with a handgun, ammunition, numerous fraudulent checks, checks that had been returned as altered, personal information of other people written in a notebook, 27 debit cards in other people’s names, a computer and a cell phone, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported. 

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The checks Jacob was found with allegedly belonged to businesses that had reported fraud on their checking accounts, and had been deposited into the accounts associated with the debit cards, U.S. Attorney Mark Handberg said. 

Following a search warrant execution on Jacob’s computer, investigators found check-writing software and copies of fraudulent checks, Handberg added.

Deputies later determined the information in the notebook was stolen and belonged to dead people, people who lived in assisted living facilities and people who were mentally incompetent, FOX 13 reported. 

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The three gang members were arrested for their alleged involvement in a massive check fraud conspiracy. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)

Suspect Jaquavious Green was stopped on gun charges when he was discovered to have blank checks, blank check paperwork and debit cards. Green also belongs to the “Trap Boys” gang, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. 

A similar story ensued when a third alleged gang member, Daquan Carey, was arrested on murder charges following a shooting in Lake Wales. 

“When we arrested him, we fought with him,” Judd said during the presser. “Our deputies put their lives on the line, and they got a gun out of his waistband. What else did he have? Checks, credit cards, and so we saw that we have the beginning of a large operation here.”

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the “Trap Boys” gang was “flushed” down the toilet. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)

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Jacob and at least 19 conspirators are believed to have worked from July 2021 to November 2023 defrauding banks, credit unions and businesses throughout central Florida. 

“These guys were kind of instrumental for this gang they call the ‘Trap Boys’,” Judd said. “In fact, Tyler Jacob was known as the ‘Money Man’. He kind of perfected the scheme and was teaching it and bringing people in…. But, guess what? We flushed the ‘Trap Boys.’ They cease to exist. They’re in the toilet and down in the sewer. We’re going after their accomplices now. There are more flushes for this toilet.”

Hurricane Helene, a major storm that made landfall in late September in Taylor County, inflicted up to $162.2 million in agricultural losses in Florida.

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS, on Tuesday released a report estimating losses from Helene. Helene closely followed the path of Hurricane Debby, which made landfall in August in Taylor County.

Combined, the two storms caused estimated agricultural losses of $134 million to $425 million, according to Tuesday’s report and an earlier UF/IFAS report about Debby.

Helene resulted in an estimated $40.3 million to $162.2 million in losses, with the total expected to be narrowed in the coming months. Debby led to an estimated $93.7 million to $263.2 million in losses.

“There were some things that weren’t in the path or weren’t at risk of Hurricane Helene because they were already damaged by Hurricane Debby,” Christa Court, UF/IFAS economic impact analysis program director, said Tuesday during a conference call with reporters.

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A damage survey showed larger effects from Debby, which was a more rain-intense storm with more flooding than Helene, which moved rapidly through Florida before heading north, Court said.

Court also said some farmers had not replanted between Debby, which made landfall Aug. 5, and Helene, which made landfall Sept. 26.

Hurricane Milton hit the state Oct. 9, making landfall in Sarasota County. Data on the impacts from Milton is still being collected.

During a legislative organization session Tuesday, Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican who is a citrus grower, expressed a need to help farmers, along with homeowners, affected by the storms.

“In the days following hurricanes Helene and Milton, I spent time with several senators whose constituents were catastrophically impacted. The devastation is heartbreaking. Florida agriculture was heavily impacted. And many of our coastal communities suffered from tornadoes, wind and flooding,” Albritton said. “What’s worse is that many of these communities were still recovering from hurricanes Debbie, Idalia and Ian. Be assured, together, we are going to recover, and we are going to rebuild.”

Helene, which made landfall with 140 mph sustained winds, affected more than 6 million acres of agricultural land in Florida, mostly in North Florida’s Big Bend region, with two-thirds of the land used for livestock grazing.

Field and row crops took the biggest financial hit, with estimated losses between $12.76 million and $48.16 million, followed by losses in livestock and animal production between $11.79 million and $44.4 million.

Vegetable and melon production sustained $10.47 million to $38.22 million in losses and greenhouses and nurseries received $2.16 million to $15 million in losses. Fruit and tree-nut losses were estimated at $3.17 million to $12.13 million.

The UF/IFAS figures are mostly tied to the current growing season and don’t include damage to items such as fertilizer and feed or repairs for damaged and destroyed infrastructure.

While Helene and Debby made landfall in North Florida, Milton cut a path across the central part of the state, which includes the heart of the citrus industry.

Court said Milton data will include losses from tornadoes outside of areas where hurricane-force winds occurred.

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has estimated that Milton might have caused between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion in losses.

Debby affected more than 2.2 million acres of agricultural land in Florida.

As examples of the damage, livestock losses from Debby are estimated between $41.1 million and $98.5 million. Flooding caused field crops to suffer between $19.3 million and $53.1 million in losses. Greenhouses and nurseries had up to $53.6 million in losses, including from power outages that hindered cooling and irrigation.

Debby interrupted the planting schedule for vegetables, melons and potatoes and resulted in $12.1 million to $32.1 million in anticipated losses.

The Florida Gators have been plagued by the injury bug all season. It’s taken a few key players on both sides of the ball each week and left them trying to fill the void with others. 

However, they have tons of depth on this roster and it showed once again on Saturday. While the Gators were without starting linebacker Grayson Howard against LSU, true freshman Myles Graham made sure there was little drop-off in talent on the field. 

According to PFF, Graham was graded out as the best true freshman linebacker in the country in Week 12 against the Tigers with a PFF grade of 77.6. He accounted for seven tackles in this game and five of them were assisted while the other two were solo. His seven tackles were also his highest in a single game this season. 

Additionally, PFF gave him an 82.7 tackling grade in this contest, which is the highest he has received all season and also the highest of any Gator defender on Saturday. 

The young star in the making has been shining over these past few weeks as well, so it is no surprise seeing him perform like this. 

From the first week of the season against Miami to the Tennessee game near the middle of October, Graham only totaled five tackles and all of them were assisted. In the last four though, he has 17 tackles, (10 assists and seven solo) one tackle-for-loss and one sack. 

It is unclear yet as to when Howard will be back for the Gators. Like every week prior, we’ll have to wait for the availability report for that. But if his absence extends into this weekend, then the Gators will have a dependable replacement in Myles Graham.