OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) has made significant progress in a check fraud investigation, arresting four individuals and issuing nine more warrants. The suspects are accused of depositing and cashing fraudulent checks at First National Bank of Omaha ATMs before the system could decline them.
The investigation began in early March, when the DCSO arrested Rukyia Dean, 49, the alleged ringleader of the operation. According to authorities, Dean recruited co-conspirators by offering them a share of the illicit profits. Many of those recruited had histories of homelessness.
The latest arrests include:
Rukyia Dean, 49
Alea Smith, 33
Robert Cobb, 34
Armonte Maxfield, 24
In addition, nine individuals now face arrest warrants:
Cody Ferguson, 32
Yevlan Brown, 30
Alaijha Station, 21
Curtis Maxwell, 63
Timothy Creswell, 55
Sean Belton, 24
Kenya Brooks, 31
Fabion Thomas, 25
Destiney Wynne, 25
DCSO has also revealed that prosecutors are reviewing 15 additional warrants, with the total number of suspects involved in the scheme reaching 28. The group is believed to have stolen over $53,000 from FNBO ATMs.
