HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday and the Pennsylvania State Police announced charges against 27 people in a multi-million dollar scheme defrauding central Pennsylvania banks and financial institutions by using stolen customer information.
Among those charged are eight alleged leaders of the scheme — Michael Lopez, Ojibway Warta, Gabriel Wilson, Ayden Rosario, Zyaire Monserrat, Devon James, Lavon Whittaker and Isiah Green.
They, along with their co-conspirators, posed as bank staff to obtain customer account information. That information was then used to make withdrawals and transfers to accounts overseen by the criminal organization.
The eight leaders are charged with felony corrupt organizations, access device fraud, theft, and related offenses. Nineteen other individuals are charged with similar offenses.
“This coordinated and calculated criminal enterprise duped Pennsylvanians and defrauded financial institutions to the tune of more than two million dollars,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This is at least the third multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme recently disbanded by our Financial Crimes Section in collaboration with partners. I commend the financial institutions for their full cooperation and willingness to assist impacted customers.”
“These individuals exploited the trust of our communities and manipulated the banking system for personal gain,” said Capt. James A. Reinard, Director of the Special Investigations Division, PSP Bureau of Criminal Investigation. “Our investigators worked with the Office of Attorney General to dismantle this scheme and seek justice for victims. Protecting Pennsylvanians from complex financial crimes remains a top priority for the Pennsylvania State Police.”
The impacted financial institutions were primarily located in Cumberland and Dauphin counties.
Charged and in custody are: Lopez, Warta, Wilson, Rosario, Monserratt, James, Whittaker, Green, Nassah Wright, Tyquan Butler-Stern, Sincere Ussery, Dysaun Hickey, Rilwan Akesode, Ellis Wallace, Kelyn Thomas, Johnathan Ramos, Dorien Ervin, Honisty Brown, Monet Santana, Ivan Valera and Tyler Hunter.
Charged, but not in custody are: Elison Onufer, Jnaesha Totton, Kapree Wells, Daeshaun Blanding, Emerson Minnich and Myklin Jones.
Dauphin County Crisis Response Team, Dauphin County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, and Harrisburg Police Department assisted with arrests this week.
Victims reported receiving phone calls or text messages from someone claiming to be from their banking institution, oftentimes alleging to be with the fraud department. The victims were asked for account information, logins and passwords, and other personal information.
Once that information was obtained, the victims were locked out of their accounts, while the corrupt organization performed withdrawals and transfers, totaling $2.3 million.
The cases will be prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Kayla Bolan. Criminal charges, and any discussion thereof, are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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