A 23-year-old Florida man faces federal prison for his involvement in a sophisticated identity theft network that targeted drivers in southern Maine. Richard Harris of Fort Lauderdale was sentenced today in a Portland courtroom to 32 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Harris’ scam, which he carried out with co-conspirator Paul Logugune, was based on a strategic blend of petty crime and high-risk bank fraud. According to federal court filings, the two spent months breaking into unoccupied automobiles to steal purses and wallets.
They deliberately sought out driver’s licenses and checkbooks, which served as the foundation for their operation.
Once they acquired the stolen documents, the duo faked cheques payable to the same victims they had defrauded. To get away from the teller windows, they persuaded others to visit several federal credit union locations across the region.
These recruits used stolen identities to mimic victims and cash fake checks.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann imposed the sentence today, which also requires Harris to pay $31,400 in restitution to his victims. This follows Harris’ guilty plea on December 16, 2025.
Harris is not the first to face the consequences in this case. In August 2024, Logugune was sentenced to two and a half years in jail and had to pay more than $32,000 in reparations for his involvement. The successful prosecution was the product of a combined investigation by the FBI and Freeport Police Department.
Leave a Reply