Three men have been formally charged in connection with a scheme involving a stolen U.S. Treasury check worth over $1 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced on Tuesday. The charges include conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Orelien Martial Nguepi-Tankoua, Jean Paul Bayoi, and Tamblyn Milton Frasier were indicted following earlier court appearances in both Florida and Georgia.
Court records indicate the trio allegedly used fake identities to open fraudulent bank accounts and attempted to launder the stolen funds.
In September 2021, Frasier is said to have opened a bank account in Georgia using a false identity and a counterfeit driver’s license, with help from Bayoi.
Authorities say this account was set up using the payee details from a stolen U.S. Treasury check worth more than $1 million.
After the account was opened, Nguepi-Tankoua allegedly deposited the stolen check through an ATM.
Attempts were made to withdraw the funds, but federal authorities, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service, intervened and successfully recovered the remaining money.
If convicted, each defendant could face up to 30 years in federal prison.
It’s important to note that an indictment is not a conviction. All three men are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.