Abreiana Rogers, a 29-year-old from Los Angeles, appeared in federal court in Fresno on Thursday due to her involvement in a bank fraud scheme targeting credit unions for nearly $1 million. Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced the charges.
Five co-defendants also involved in the scheme had their initial court appearances in November 2024. These individuals include Nyric Hinton, 26; Zion Brewer, 39; Zorian Temple, 23; Davonntae Barfield, 30; and Harry Cooper Neal, 29, all residents of Fresno.
The defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Rogers faces additional charges including four counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Hinton is charged with one count of bank fraud, while Temple and Barfield each face two counts of bank fraud.
Court documents reveal that between April 2022 and January 31, 2023, the group used Facebook and Facebook Messenger to recruit individuals who held bank accounts. They promised these account holders a share of any fraudulent funds deposited into their accounts. The defendants then used these accounts to deposit stolen and fraudulent checks. Brewer, an employee of the U.S. Postal Service, allegedly assisted by stealing mail containing checks and financial information for his co-conspirators.
Once the funds were deposited fraudulently into the accounts, they were quickly withdrawn through electronic transfers and cash withdrawals by the defendants who then divided the proceeds among themselves and other conspirators. To bypass financial institutions' fraud protection systems, they shared information about known weaknesses in these systems. Account holders were instructed to claim their accounts had been compromised if questioned by financial institutions regarding the deposits.
The group is accused of attempting at least $1 million in fraudulent transactions with financial institutions using over 100 bank accounts to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case.
A status conference for this case is scheduled for June 4, 2025.
If convicted on conspiracy to commit bank fraud or any count of bank fraud, defendants could face up to 30 years in prison along with a $250,000 fine per charge. Rogers may also receive a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft if found guilty. Sentencing will be determined by statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines after conviction since all charges are currently allegations pending proof beyond reasonable doubt.