Federal prosecutors accuse a Dallas man arrested at a New York airport gate of leading a nationwide bank account takeover ring that used stolen identities and insiders at banks and telecommunications companies to reach victims’ money.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould announced Tuesday the unsealing of a 22-count indictment against Muhamed Dieye, 35, and 13 other defendants after authorities arrested co-defendant Terrence Dudley in Florida. A federal grand jury returned the indictment on August 26.
All 14 face a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. The indictment also includes bank fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft counts, with the identity theft counts against Dieye alone. All defendants retain the presumption of innocence unless prosecutors prove their guilt in court.
What the dollar figures mean
The indictment alleges that Dieye possessed a spreadsheet containing personal and business information for nearly 3,000 people whose bank accounts collectively held more than $373 million. That figure describes account balances, not established losses from the alleged scheme.
The indictment separately alleges that participants used the identities of at least 75 victims whose financial accounts collectively held at least $11 million. Neither figure establishes how much money the group actually stole.
Insiders allegedly helped bypass safeguards
Prosecutors allege that the operation ran from approximately July 2023 through November 2024. Participants allegedly obtained counterfeit identification, sent impostors into banks, and manipulated victims’ phone service through spoofing and SIM swapping to intercept security codes.
The indictment identifies alleged insiders at First Bank, Bank of America and AT&T. Participants called the impostors “Scotties” and the insiders “Innys,” and coordinated fraud attempts through Telegram, the filing alleges.
The release lists accounts at Truist Bank, Bank of America, First Bank, Woodforest National Bank, JPMorgan Chase Bank and Charles Schwab among those that participants allegedly accessed or withdrew money from. Prosecutors also describe an attempted $2 million wire transfer to Emirates Islamic Bank.
The indictment describes alleged withdrawals at Truist branches in Mesquite, Rockwall and Dallas.
Prosecutors describe airport arrest
Dieye left his Dallas home, shipped most of his possessions to Kenya and traveled with his family to New York for a one-way flight to Malaysia, prosecutors alleged in a motion to revoke release summarized in the announcement.
Federal agents arrested him at a John F. Kennedy International Airport gate after he scanned his boarding pass, the release states. Prosecutors allege that he resisted arrest and tried to destroy a cellphone.
A federal magistrate judge in New York initially ordered his release on bond, but prosecutors obtained an emergency stay, the release states. Prosecutors said on November 3 that Dieye and several co-defendants remained in federal custody in North Texas pending trial.
Raybould said in the release: “Target Main Street and we will pursue you with every tool available.”
The Diplomatic Security Service led the investigation with assistance from federal agencies and local departments, including Dallas and Plano police and the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Murtha is prosecuting the case.
In a separate August case, prosecutors accused West Dallas resident Kendrick Lamont Fugett of using stolen identities and fake identification to deposit more than $15 million in U.S. Treasury checks, as The Dallas Express previously reported.
