Church check fraud investigation in Manatee County

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - Eight people have been arrested following a large-scale check fraud investigation throughout Manatee County.Officials said Yucmercy Espinosa Obregon, Luis Miguel Sanchez Santos, Lisaida Castro Gonzalez, Ismery Ferrer Alonso, Luis Enrique Valdes Camejo, Dayanis Leon Hernandez, Duvier Hernandez Canizarez and Isidro Gonzalez Gomez have all been arrested in connection with the investigation.The suspects face charges including organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, uttering a forged instrument and criminal use of personal identification, officials said.The investigation began in Dec. 2025 after a pastor at Harvest Methodist Church in Lakewood Ranch reported a significant decrease in mail received by the church.Parishioners questioned whether the checks had arrived and later discovered they had been stolen and deposited into an individual’s bank account, officials said. The fraudulent activity involved at least 17 churches in Manatee County.Detectives have id