Reported by Christian Terry
Multiple arrests have been made in connection to a bank fraud investigation led by the Mont Belvieu Police Department.
The department said the investigation into a series of seemingly unrelated financial fraud cases started in June 2024, where victims reported funds stolen from their bank accounts via unauthorized wire transactions.
The investigation expanded to include other regional law enforcement agencies when it was determined that other agencies were investigating similar cases.
35 fraud victims in Mont Belvieu, Baytown, Chambers County, Houston, and Liberty County were identified by investigators and the combined losses suffered by those victims are at least $350,000. Mont Belvieu police say losses may reach up to a total of $600,000 in total funds stolen and laundered through other bank accounts.
The multi-agency investigation, dubbed “Operation Cash Back,” led to authorities identifying four primary suspects in the scheme.
Investigators say they believe the four suspects recruited other people into the scheme and orchestrated it.
“The scheme involved suspects who obtained victims stolen financial data then used various online messaging apps to recruit other lower-level individual participants who allowed their legitimate bank accounts to be used to funnel stolen funds through,” explained Chief Jimmy Ellison of the Mont Belvieu Police Department.
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