Band of bandits busted for cashing fake business checks at credit unions & banks

Seven men drove more than 1,000 miles from North Carolina to Green Bay, Wis., and used local homeless people to cash counterfeit business checks at credit unions and banks, according to a Dec. 18 indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.

Federal prosecutors also alleged this band of bandits had been traveling across the nation to carry out the same fraudulent scheme, but the indictment did not cite other financial institutions in other states that may have been victimized.

Charged with financial institution fraud and aggravated identity theft were Che L. Simons, 28,  Sequoia D. Southerland, 21,  Mackel H. W. Gaither, 28, Henry L. Wilder, 32, Fred P. Allen, 24, Keith D. Davidson, 26, and Deshawn D. Mobley, 27, who are all North Carolina residents, federal prosecutors said.

The band of bandits targeted the $1.4 billion Capital Credit Union in Green Bay, the $1.6 billion Fox Communities Credit Union and the $263 million Prospera Credit Union, both in Appleton. According to the criminal complaint, they also targeted Nicolet National Bank and Associated Bank, both in Green Bay, Stephenson National Bank and Trust in Marinette, Johnson Bank in Racine and U.S. Bank in Minneapolis.

 

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