The Leeds Police Department recently released further information regarding the arrest of five men from New York accused of human trafficking and bank fraud. This complex case involves the alleged exploitation of homeless individuals who were transported across state lines to commit fraud in banks across Alabama.
On September 4, Leeds police responded to a call from Millennial Bank on Parkway Drive, where employees reported a man attempting fraudulent withdrawals with fake documents. When officers arrived, the man fled the scene but was quickly apprehended.
During their investigation, police determined that the suspect, a homeless man from Hartford, Connecticut, was allegedly working under the direction of three men from New York: 27-year-old Jaylen Scott-King, 24-year-old Omari Daeshaun Cunningham, and 24-year-old Jeffrey Sajay Smith.
With assistance from the Homewood Police Department, authorities later identified two additional New York men, 28-year-old Belvis Dapaah and 26-year-old Nana Gyapong, who were allegedly directing a homeless woman from Connecticut to engage in similar bank fraud schemes.
According to Leeds police, the suspects transported the homeless man and woman to the southeastern U.S., including Alabama, where they were coerced into using fraudulent IDs and passports to make cash withdrawals across multiple cities. In exchange, they were promised narcotics and a share of the illegal profits, though they reportedly received neither.
Fraudulent withdrawals were allegedly conducted in Leeds, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Irondale, Birmingham, Pell City, Trussville, Anniston, and Montgomery, with police believing other cities may also be involved.
The Homewood Police Department assisted in arresting Dapaah, Cunningham, and the Connecticut woman on September 5. The FBI subsequently apprehended Scott-King, Gyapong, and Smith upon their return to New York.
Currently held without bond in Jefferson County Jail, the suspects face numerous charges. Dapaah is charged with two counts of Human Trafficking 1st Degree, Trafficking in Stolen Identities, and 12 counts of Encoded Data Fraud. Cunningham faces similar charges along with additional counts of obstructing justice, theft, and tampering with evidence. Scott-King and Smith face two counts each of Human Trafficking 1st Degree and theft, while Gyapong faces two counts of Human Trafficking 1st Degree.
The investigation remains ongoing, with potential for additional charges.