FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Prosecutors are seeking the maximum sentence for a Miami man found guilty of using bad checks to scheme people out of cash by pretending he was in dire situations.
58-year-old Mark Patsones of Miami was found guilty of Scheme to Defraud following a Lee County trial.
According to the State Attorney's Office, Patsones committed the crimes in Spring of 2018.
In one crime, he told a woman he met on an online dating site that he needed cash because his car was broken down. She gave him $125 in exchange for a check that bounced.
In another crime, he convinced a store clerk at a Fort Myers mall that he needed cash because his car was broken down and he was trying to feed his children at a local church. The business cashed a check for $81.71 that bounced.
Patsones then convinced a Fort Myers golf store to give him cash back on two checks totaling more than $200 after telling stories of hardship. He did the same at a nearby shoe store, writing a check for $249.09.
None of the checks were good.
The State Attorney’s Office has filed a motion to seek a Habitual Felony Offender designation. This can elevate the penalty the defendant faces. They are seeking the maximum penalty as an HFO for this crime of 10 years in prison.
