MIAMI, FL – July 9, 2025 — Michel Duarte Suárez, a 50-year-old Cuban national, has pleaded guilty in a Miami federal court to orchestrating a bank fraud and identity theft scheme from Panama that targeted an elderly U.S. victim and resulted in the theft of over $800,000.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Duarte pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. He now faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, plus an additional mandatory two years for identity theft, to be served consecutively.
The Fraud Scheme
Court records show that the case dates back to March 2022, when Duarte informed a confidential informant that he had unauthorized access to the bank account of an 82-year-old victim at Truist Bank. From Panama City, Duarte created and mailed counterfeit checks with forged signatures mimicking the victim’s, directing accomplices in South Florida to cash the checks and return 50% of the proceeds to a Miami-based company under his control, Online Electronics.
Over a period of four months, Duarte and his network issued more than 80 fraudulent checks to various individuals and companies, draining a total of $803,146 from the victim’s account.
Capture and Extradition
Duarte was initially charged in September 2023 but evaded U.S. authorities by residing in Panama City, Panama. Acting on an Interpol red notice, Panamanian authorities arrested him in January 2025 during a raid on his apartment in the upscale Paitilla neighborhood. He was extradited to the United States shortly afterward.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams.
A Criminal Past Exposed
Duarte’s criminal record in Panama paints a broader picture of a seasoned fraudster. In 2019, he was arrested during Operation Emperador, a Panamanian law enforcement operation that uncovered a vehicle theft and document forgery ring. Authorities linked Duarte to illegally imported vehicles, credit card cloning, and the use of forged documents to sell stolen property.
A $20,000 vehicle fraud case exposed his scheme after a victim’s home was raided by customs officials and police due to the illegal possession of a pickup truck. Duarte was also accused of possessing blank credit cards, magnetic strip encoders, computer hardware, and $1,700 in cash during a separate raid in Arraiján, west of Panama City.
During earlier legal proceedings in Panama, Duarte apologized to one of his victims and claimed the seized electronic equipment was part of his computer sales business.
Prosecution and Investigation
The current U.S. case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderón handling the asset forfeiture proceedings. The investigation was led by the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and the Office of Inspector General of the FDIC.
