HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies have arrested the woman accused of orchestrating a months-long bank fraud scheme in Hillsborough County Wednesday in Atlanta.
Officials caught and arrested 31-year-old Coretta Bates Wednesday morning in Atlanta, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office news release.
Bates had active federal warrants for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for months.
The sheriff's office said it began a bank fraud investigation in October 2023 after discovering someone was opening different bank accounts with fake North Carolina IDs. Once they were opened, the suspect reportedly stole more than $165,000 from people all over the southeastern United States.
On Monday, Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies sent a press release saying they, along with the United States Secret Service Tampa Field Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office, identified the suspect as Bates.
"Thank you to all of the local media partners and their affiliates for sharing this information," deputies said in a statement.