Hayden O’Byrne United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida | The Florida Bar
A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted three individuals, Orelien Martial Nguepi-Tankoua, Jean Paul Bayoi, and Tamblyn Milton Frasier, for their involvement in a bank fraud conspiracy. The scheme revolved around a stolen United States Treasury check and involved using fraudulent identities to open illegitimate bank accounts, followed by subsequent money laundering activities.
The case dates back to September 2021 when Frasier opened a bank account using a falsified driver's license and false identity in the Northern District of Georgia. Bayoi assisted in obtaining these fraudulent documents. The account was linked to the payee details from a stolen U.S. Treasury check worth over $1 million. Nguepi-Tankoua then deposited this stolen check via an ATM.
Authorities, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury - Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service, thwarted attempts to withdraw the funds, managing to seize the remaining money in the fraudulent account.
Frasier, Nguepi-Tankoua, and Bayoi made their initial court appearances in March before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. They have now been formally charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering, with each facing a potential maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The indictments were announced by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida along with Special Agent in Charge Javan Wilson of the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General, Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Miami, Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI's Miami Field Office.
The U.S. Department of Treasury, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted joint investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani is prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster handling asset forfeiture.
It is emphasized that an indictment is an allegation, and the defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For more information, reference can be made to the District Court's website for the Southern District of Florida under case number 25-mj-8126.
