MOBILE, AL — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Alabama, Southern), published as received.
MOBILE, AL – An Atlanta, Georgia man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for bank fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Jamontez Jaquavious Cofield, 24, was arrested by an Alabama State Trooper in April 2024 following a traffic stop on Interstate 65 in north Baldwin County. During the traffic stop, Cofield admitted that he had marijuana and a loaded 5.7x28mm caliber pistol in the car, which the Trooper seized. Cofield also admitted that he was not supposed to possess a firearm because he had prior felony convictions. In 2018, Cofield was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony assault in LaGrange, Georgia. Those convictions made Cofield’s possession of the pistol illegal under federal law.
The Trooper searched Cofield’s vehicle, locating 38 stolen business checks with a total face value of $43,482, which had been made payable to various businesses in the Atlanta area. The checks bore the names and personal identifying information of various identity-theft victims who did not authorize Cofield to possess the checks, which had been stolen from the mail. Cofield admitted that he had been provided the stolen checks by a coconspirator he met on social media and communicated with via Snapchat. Cofield was transporting the stolen checks to sell to an individual at a meeting location in downtown Mobile. Agents searched Cofield’s cell phone and found numerous messages, photos, and videos regarding Cofield’s involvement in counterfeit check fraud, as well as his possession of bulk cash, narcotics, and guns.
In addition to the 57-month prison term, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Cofield to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Cofield to pay $100 in special assessments. The court also forfeited Cofield’s gun and related ammunition to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
