A former resident of Cedar Rapids has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for cashing a fraudulent check from a Chicago law firm. Shango Johnson, 35, originally from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on June 27, 2025, following his guilty plea on March 24, 2025, to one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the plea agreement, Johnson admitted that in November 2023 he obtained a false and fraudulent check worth $9,634. The check was purportedly drawn on an account belonging to a Chicago law firm which had closed the account in 2021 after experiencing mail theft. Johnson deposited this check into his bank account in Cedar Rapids. The check falsely indicated it was meant for Johnson’s “personal injury final settlement payout.” In reality, Johnson had not received any settlement related to a personal injury lawsuit and was not entitled to any funds from the law firm’s account. He then attempted to use the money before his bank could identify the fraud.
