Co-defendant in federal fraud scheme sentenced to prison

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The co-defendant of former University of Alabama basketball star Kennedy Winston will go to prison for four and a half years for a fraud scheme.

A federal judge sentenced Xavier Cade for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two years for aggravated identity theft.

The Mobile man pleaded guilty in January to participating in a fraudulent check-cashing scheme prosecutors say Winston ran.

Cade admitted he went to a business in Coden in 2024 and used a fake ID to cash a stolen Treasury check for almost $17,000.

Prosecutors say more than 70 people cashed stolen checks at the store, costing the business almost $1.4 million.

Winston pleaded not guilty to these allegations. His trial is scheduled for June.