Between December 2014 and January 2015, Richard A. Price engaged in a sophisticated scheme involving fraudulent bank accounts and stolen identities. He opened at least five joint accounts at Wells Fargo Bank by using fraudulent trust agreements, which included forged signatures and falsified personal information for individuals listed as co-owners of the accounts. Price deposited United States Treasury checks into these accounts, checks that were unlawfully obtained without the intended recipients’ consent. These checks included tax refunds and funds from federal employees’ retirement accounts.
Once the joint accounts were opened, Price withdrew funds or used debit cards linked to these accounts to pay for personal expenses. His actions led to a total intended financial loss of approximately $1.6 million. The victims included nine individuals whose identities were compromised, along with Wells Fargo, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Thrift Savings Plan.
On March 5, 2015, a federal grand jury indicted Price on multiple counts, including five counts of bank fraud and five counts of aggravated identity theft. In July 2015, Price pled guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft under a plea agreement. He was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Price was released from prison on July 21, 2021, and began his supervised release, which was set to continue until July 20, 2026. One of the conditions of his release was the payment of restitution, which amounted to $126,139.07. In August 2022, the court modified the terms of his supervision to require monthly payments of $75 toward restitution, due to his inability to make full payments.
However, Price soon fell behind on his financial obligations. By March 2023, a petition was filed by the United States Probation Office, alleging that Price had violated the terms of his supervised release by failing to make payments and committing new offenses.
New Criminal Charges and Revocation Hearing
On March 1, 2023, Price was arrested in Palm Beach County, Florida, on charges of felony battery, domestic battery by strangulation, and other related domestic battery charges. These charges, in addition to his failure to meet restitution obligations, formed the basis for the initial petition to revoke his supervised release.
Later, in May 2024, Price was arrested again, this time for possessing a firearm, a violation of both federal and state law given his status as a convicted felon. On May 30, 2024, Price was stopped by Palm Beach County deputies while driving his mother’s white Jeep. During the traffic stop, Price exhibited behavior consistent with sovereign citizen ideology. He refused to fully comply with law enforcement requests, only rolling his window down slightly and handing over a U.S. passport rather than a valid driver’s license. Price also attempted to present a binder of paperwork, which officers believed was part of his sovereign citizen documentation.
During an inventory search of the vehicle, deputies discovered a Canik 9mm pistol in the center console. Price, a convicted felon, was not legally allowed to possess a firearm. His arrest on these charges led to a superseding petition for the revocation of his supervised release.
In September 2024, a federal court held a revocation hearing to address the violations alleged against Price during his supervised release. Price admitted to two violations: failing to notify his probation officer of his arrest and failing to meet his restitution obligations. The government dismissed the domestic violence charges from March 2023 at the hearing, but the focus shifted to the firearm-related charges.
The central issue was whether Price knowingly possessed the firearm found in his mother’s vehicle. The prosecution argued that Price’s behavior during the traffic stop, particularly his refusal to cooperate, indicated he knew the firearm was present. However, Price’s defense claimed that the firearm belonged to his nephew, Anthony Price, a corrections officer in Ocala, Florida, who had recently visited for Memorial Day. Price’s mother testified that her grandson used the vehicle during his visit, and a receipt was provided showing Anthony had purchased the firearm in 2019.
After hearing testimony from law enforcement and Price’s family, the court determined that the government had not provided sufficient evidence to prove that Price had knowingly possessed the firearm. The firearm was found in a latched center console, out of sight, and there was no forensic evidence linking Price directly to the weapon. The court credited the testimony of Price’s mother, who confirmed that her grandson often used the vehicle, and that the firearm belonged to him. As a result, the court dismissed the firearm-related violations. A final sentencing hearing has been set.