SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—The United States Attorney General for Louisiana Western District, Brandon Brown, announced a grand jury indictment charging bank fraud on Thursday morning, naming multiple individuals from Shreveport.
The investigation into these fraudulent acts is said to have targeted mostly older bank customers with high account balances.
“The banking system is clearly one of the driving forces behind national, state, and
local economy in every community across the United States and is critical in consumer
transactions on a daily basis,” said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “In these
trying economic times, this office is committed to prosecuting those who use national and
local banks to defraud other banks, businesses, consumers, and bank customers.”
According to a news release provided by Brown’s office, he will present information related to the indictment, which involves 21 defendants from Shreveport.
A multi-agency investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Secret Service, and FBI led to the indictments, which named the defendants: 20 from Shreveport and one who resides in Bossier City for actions connected to federal bank fraud.
The federal grand jury indictment alleges that from January 1, 2021 through about October 31, 2022 the defendants and others “known and unknown”, knowingly and willfully conspired to commit bank fraud.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants obtained money from financial institutions including USAA Savings Bank (USAA Bank), Chase Bank, and Navy Federal Credit Union (Navy Federal).
Four of the defendants, Destane Glass, 22; Sharmaine Jackson, 25; Elijah D. Brown, 24; and Eric D. Loud, 23, worked with one or more employees at the Teleperformance Call Center in Shreveport to obtain account information related to USAA Bank customers.
“For months criminals took advantage of a company that serves our veterans, and
preyed upon its customers,” said Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil of the New Orleans
Field Office. “This indictment is the first step in holding those who stole from those who have
honored our country with their service, accountable for their despicable actions. The FBI
thanks its partners in this case in helping to bring this corruption to light.”
The indictment also alleges that defendants Gully, Green, and Watkins, who worked at Teleperformance in Shreveport, illegally provided account information of targeted bank accounts. These customers are generally older bank customers with high account balances. It is believed these customers were targeted because they are less likely to monitor account activity regularly.
The co-conspirators are accused of making or causing counterfeit checks to be drawn on USAA Bank. They allegedly used social media and other methods to recruit individuals willing to have counterfeit checks deposited into their bank accounts in exchange for money.
Other names in the indictment – Deboe, T. Bryant, C. Bryant, T. McGinty, S.McGinty, Larrimore, Lejay, Mitchell, Barfield, Taylor, Pouncy, Wilbert, and Washington-Bates each used their personal bank accounts or allowed those bank accounts to be used, to negotiate counterfeit checks drawn on USAA Bank and shared the proceeds with other co-conspirators.
The indictment details the depositing of counterfeit check deposits or messages sent through a social media site via (SMS) regarding the deposits and counterfeit checks as follows:
11/27/21 Cynthia R. Bryant to Destane Glass
Message sent through SMS showing
$40,000 deposit to Bryant’s Chase Bank account
12/13/21 Maya L. Green to Elijah D. Brown
Message sent through SMS offering to sell him USAA Bank account information
1/21/22 Maya L. Green to Elijah D. Brown
Message sent through SMS indicating she had new USAA Bank account information she was willing to sell
5/11/22 Javonte J. Lejay Counterfeit USAA Bank check in the amount of $32,000 deposited into his Chase Bank account
5/20/22 Javonte J. Lejay Entered Margaritaville Casino in Bossier City, LA and made three cash withdrawals totaling $24,000 from his Chase Bank account
5/25/22 Arazhia R. Gully to Elijah D. Brown Text message sent containing age and account balances of eight USAA Bank customers
5/25/22 Elijah D. Brown to Arazhia R. Gully
Text message sent indicating he was interested in account information related to a 79-year-old customer with account balance of approximately $442,000
5/25/22 Arazhia R. Gully to Elijah D. Brown Text message sent containing picture of her
computer monitor displaying account information related to the USAA Bank customer referenced in paragraph above
6/1/22 Destane Glass to Zarrajah Watkins
Text message sent requesting two account numbers
6/1/22 Destane Glass to Zarrajah Watkins
Text message sent inquiring which account belonged to the oldest person and how
much was in the account
6/6/22 Arazhia R. Gully to Elijah D. Brown
Text message sent containing age and account balances of three USAA Bank
customers
6/6/22 Elijah D. Brown to Arazhia R. Gully
Text message was sent indicating he was interested in the account information related to a 95-year-old customer with an account balance of approximately $174,000
6/6/22 Arazhia R. Gully to Elijah D. Brown
Text message containing picture of her computer monitor displaying account information related to the USAA Bank customer referenced in paragraph above
6/13/22 Shamaya S. Pouncy Counterfeit USAA Bank check in the amount of $10,000 deposited into her Navy Federal account
6/13/22 Shaquentalas B. McGinty Counterfeit USAA Bank check in the amount of $15,000 deposited into her Navy Federal account
6/17/22 Shaquentalas B. McGinty and Sharmaine Jackson both defendants, entered Bally’s Casino in Shreveport, LA, and withdrew $7,000 cash from McGinty’s Navy Federal account
Additionally, the indictment charges defendants C. Bryant, T. Bryant, Green, Deboe, Wilbert, and Shepherd, each with one count of knowingly possessing a counterfeited security of USAA Bank with intent to deceive.
Redacted grand jury indictment below.
“This case should serve as a strong deterrent for criminal actors considering taking part
in similar fraud schemes,” said Resident Agent in Charge Felton L. Joseph, Jr. “The U.S.
Secret Service and its law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and pursue
prosecution of these alleged crimes in order to safeguard our communities.”
