Placentia Man Pleads Guilty in $1.2 Million Social Media Check Fraud Scheme

The Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana, Calif., on Oct. 22, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 26-year-old Placentia man pleaded guilty May 25 to a social media check fraud scheme of teaching people how to create false checks using Telegram chat groups, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Meshach Samuels pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of being a felon in possession of weapons, federal prosecutors said.