Somerset police say a quick-thinking bank staff and a low-key street operation stopped an alleged check-fraud crew in its tracks on June 9, after a woman reportedly tried to pull $30,000 from a Rockland Trust branch on Slades Ferry Avenue. Officers intercepted a white Dodge Durango just after bank workers flagged the transaction and called in a suspicious customer. Inside the SUV, investigators say they later found fraudulent checks, dozens of bank cards and multiple phones they believe were used to pose as the real account holder.
How police say the scheme worked
Detectives say the group allegedly stole the victim’s identity and changed the phone number listed on his account so a co-conspirator could pick up the bank’s verification call and green-light the $30,000 withdrawal, according to the Lowell Sun. Bank staff later used a previously documented number to reach the real account holder, realized something was off and contacted police. To avoid tipping off any possible lookouts, Somerset officers stayed several blocks from the branch while detectives watched the bank. Investigators then moved in after the woman left the building and climbed into a nearby vehicle.
What officers say they found
Police stopped the Durango, which carried Michigan plates, and seized it while they sought a search warrant. After a judge signed off, officers say they uncovered about $1,117 in cash, nine fraudulent checks, 15 bank cards in names that did not match the suspects, nine cellphones, a tablet and an electronic stun device, according to a department statement reported by Newport Dispatch.
Who was arrested and the charges
Somerset police arrested five people and charged each with attempt to commit a crime, uttering a false check and conspiracy, as reported by the Fall River Reporter. The suspects were identified as Troy Donell Gathers Jr., 23, of Marlborough; Brandon Kevin Williams Jr., 23, of Chelsea; Donnie Earl Smith Jr., 24, of Randolph; Kayana Evon-Laurine Powell, 20, of Taunton; and Donnie Earl Smith, 25, of Lowell. Police say the investigation is still active and that more charges are possible as they sift through the evidence.
Context and next steps
Chief William Tedford said the evidence points to a coordinated operation and warned that additional charges may be filed, according to a department statement cited by the Lowell Sun. The Durango remains in police custody while detectives comb through data from the multiple phones and the tablet. The arrests land at a time when federal and local authorities across Massachusetts are cracking down on organized bank-fraud rings; two men recently pleaded guilty in a multimillion-dollar scheme brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. For background on similar prosecutions, see reporting by Boston.com.
