SPOKANE, Wash. — Devaunte Hickman-Young, a 28-year-old Spokane man, has been arrested in connection with a fraudulent scheme in which he and others allegedly forged checks totaling more than $56,000.
According to court documents, Hickman-Young is accused of using someone else’s identity to open a bank account at Washington Trust Bank. He and his associates allegedly deposited forged checks into the account, then withdrew funds before the fraudulent transactions were flagged.
Investigators reported that between October 16 and November 4, Hickman-Young deposited 36 forged checks totaling $56,380. He withdrew the maximum allowable amounts before the transactions were discovered.
The fraud department at Washington Trust Bank alerted authorities on November 8, providing surveillance footage showing Hickman-Young conducting transactions across Spokane, alongside copies of the altered checks and a list of fraudulent transactions.
Investigators confirmed the bank suffered a total loss of $11,740 from withdrawals made by Hickman-Young at ATMs.
Hickman-Young faces multiple charges:
One count of identity theft for assuming another person’s identity.
Thirty-six counts of financial fraud for depositing forged checks.
Twenty-five counts of money laundering for withdrawing funds from fraudulent accounts.
One count of first-degree theft for stealing $11,740 from the bank.
Investigators believe Hickman-Young and his group were part of a larger fraud ring that opened accounts, deposited forged checks, and made rapid withdrawals before being detected. Court documents indicate that none of the checks deposited by Hickman-Young were legitimate.
Hickman-Young made his first appearance in Spokane Superior Court, where his bond was set at $20,000.
