A Georgia resident, Roderick Michael Bates, pleaded guilty on Mar. 24 to charges of identity theft and wire fraud after stealing from a farm machinery and equipment business in Salemburg, North Carolina.
The case is significant because it highlights the risks businesses face from fraudulent activities involving stolen identities and interstate crime. Bates used fake driver’s licenses with stolen identities to obtain financing for expensive farm equipment at a local Sampson County business. He purchased items valued at more than $65,000—including a zero-turn mower, an Evolution D5 Ranger golf cart, and dump trailers—and arranged for them to be shipped out of state.
Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said, “I would like to thank our federal partners that helped bring this individual to justice. The citizens of Sampson County should know that our offices will work tirelessly to protect the property and livelihoods of every citizen. Regardless of distance, we will find them.”
Bates faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison and could receive up to 42 years when sentenced in the coming months. The plea was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II following an announcement by Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case while Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Petracca is prosecuting it.
Further information about this case can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or by searching Case No. 7:25-CR-00117-D-BM on PACER.
