Kuttino Jamal Scott, 24, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced on July 1 by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 32 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for his role in a scheme that defrauded numerous individuals who used the electronic payments system Zelle, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Judge Shea also ordered Scott to perform 125 hours of community service while on supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating crimes against users of digital payment applications such as Zelle. In this scheme, victims received fraudulent text messages purporting to be from their bank regarding unauthorized Zelle transactions. After denying authorization, victims were contacted by individuals impersonating bank representatives who instructed them to reverse fictional fraudulent transactions by making payments via Zelle into accounts controlled by the fraudsters.
From approximately February 2021 through August 2023, Scott and others including Kader Gahmaal Biwaki Edmond stole $657,680.79 from about 140 victims—including those in Connecticut—through this and other fraud schemes. The investigation revealed that Edmond had more direct contact with victims while Scott managed at least eight “money mules,” or individuals whose bank accounts received and transferred proceeds from the fraud.
Judge Shea ordered Scott to pay full restitution. Scott was arrested on August 31, 2023; he pleaded guilty on January 13, 2026, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and is currently released on a $100,000 bond until he reports to prison on September 15. Edmond pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced on August 19, 2024, to three years of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang with assistance from Law Student Intern Lucas Alexander.
Victims are encouraged to report Zelle fraud either directly through their financial institution or via the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which is operated by the FBI at www.ic3.gov.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut prosecutes federal crimes and handles civil cases within the district; it serves all of Connecticut with about 68 assistant U.S. attorneys and employs approximately 57 support staff members as part of its justice initiatives under the Department of Justice umbrella; alumni have gone on to become judges or elected officials, according to its official website.