The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Rodrick Michael Bates of Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday after a large-scale fraud investigation that spanned multiple states and involved stolen identities, falsified driver’s licenses, and fraudulent lines of credit. Bates allegedly defrauded Smith’s Enterprises, LLC of Salemburg of approximately $100,000.

Last month, Smith’s Enterprises reported multiple incidents of fraud to the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators with the Criminal Investigation Division, working in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), identified several suspects believed to be responsible for defrauding the business of approximately $100,000.

Through a coordinated effort, investigators determined that the primary suspect, Rodrick Michael Bates, was residin

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