FLORIDA — Nineteen individuals have been indicted in connection with a statewide bank fraud conspiracy targeting over 200 victims and defrauding 26 financial institutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced.
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The indictment names Qornelious Campbell, Kenneth Cole II, Kenisha Coffer, D’Andranika Crews, Ebony Fields, Victoria Ferrer, Aaliyah Gotay-Woods, Bre’asia Harris, Jaun Hillman, Keith Honors Jr., Kendrick Iles, Arkuria Lewis, Deven Little, Josie Lopez, Clarissa Morris, Tamiria Perry, Mark Quesnel, Tamaries Richardson, and Kalei Spicer, all residents of Polk County. Each is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. If convicted, they face up to 30 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the “Trap Boys,” a violent street gang operating throughout the Middle District of Florida, in 2023.
During arrests related to retaliatory shootings, law enforcement reportedly uncovered large quantities of checks, debit cards, and financial documents linked to the fraud scheme.
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Investigators said that between July 2021 and November 2023, the defendants allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to defraud banks, credit unions, businesses, and individuals in cities such as Winter Haven, Auburndale, Riverview, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Tampa, and Miami.
The scheme is said to have involved stealing checks, altering them using check-writing software, and creating fictitious checks. Co-conspirators reportedly accessed bank information and recruited accomplices who provided bank account credentials to deposit fraudulent checks at multiple institutions.
The conspiracy defrauded various organizations, including insurance companies, law firms, construction companies, public school districts, and state agencies.
An indictment is a formal charge, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
