Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook has announced the federal sentencing of Destane Glass, 24, from Shreveport, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Glass has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 135 months in prison and is required to pay restitution of $539,578. Her sentence will run consecutively to a prior sentence of 37 months for Payment Protection Program fraud, resulting in a total prison term of 172 months.
According to court evidence, Glass and her accomplices engaged in a bank fraud conspiracy affecting USAA Savings Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, and JP Morgan Chase Bank. Identified as the ringleader, Glass orchestrated the scheme, which led to her and 20 other defendants being indicted in April 2024.
USAA Bank, insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, became a key target because of the conspiracy’s access to its customer information through a Shreveport call center operated by Teleperformance. Although not an employee, Glass conspired with Teleperformance staff to execute the fraud. This scheme involved targeting elderly account holders to create counterfeit checks totaling $2,149,621. These checks were then deposited using recruited local individuals' bank accounts, with proceeds withdrawn at locations such as casinos.
ZarRajah Z. Watkins, 23, another participant, was also sentenced. Watkins received a 37-month prison sentence, coupled with restitution payments totaling $397,930, after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges. According to the United States Attorney's Office, all defendants have now entered guilty pleas and received their respective sentences.
The case was jointly investigated by the United States Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and Shreveport Police Department, with prosecution led by Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.