A Minneapolis man is facing two felony identity theft charges after authorities say he used another person's identity to withdraw a combined $12,760 in cash from a victim's checking and savings accounts at two Twin Cities bank branches on the same June day. Dion Antonio Lowe, 55, is accused of walking into a U.S. Bank branch on Payne Avenue in St. Paul and another U.S. Bank location in Woodbury within about 40 minutes of each other, presenting what appeared to be photo identification and forging the victim's signature on withdrawal slips each time.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim, identified in court records as M.B. and described as a Missouri resident, discovered $6,280 withdrawn from his checking account and $6,480 pulled from his savings account. M.B. told investigators he had not made either withdrawal and had not authorized anyone else to do so, and he reported the identity theft to Woodbury police on June 13, two days after the transactions allegedly took place, according to Limitless News. The first transaction occurred at 11:49 a.m. at the St. Paul branch, and the second happened around 12:30 p.m. at the Woodbury location, the complaint states.
Surveillance Footage and a Tesla Sighting
Investigators obtained U.S. Bank records through a search warrant and found surveillance video showing the suspect at both bank locations, according to the complaint. Exterior surveillance footage allegedly showed the suspect arriving and leaving as a passenger in a white Tesla. A Maple Grove crime analyst identified the suspect as Dion Antonio Lowe, according to the complaint, and Woodbury police subsequently distributed his photo to law enforcement agencies across the Twin Cities metro area.
Lowe was already in Hennepin County custody when Washington County requested a warrant in this case, court records show. The complaint states he had been arrested in Edina in April for similar alleged bank fraud activity, and investigators also learned he had been arrested in Wisconsin. He was ultimately transferred to Washington County Jail on two outstanding bench warrants tied to separate felony bank fraud cases, and the complaint states he also had outstanding Tennessee warrants for identity theft, forgery and theft.
An Alleged Admission Behind Bars
Lowe was interviewed at Washington County Jail on Aug. 27, according to the complaint, and allegedly admitted making the unauthorized withdrawals from M.B.'s checking and savings accounts on June 11. He also allegedly admitted participating in what he described as an organized, multi-state bank fraud scheme. Lowe is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, and the charges remain allegations at this stage.
A Pattern Across Multiple Counties
This is not the only fraud case Lowe faces. Washington County prosecutors previously charged him in August 2026 with felony identity theft and financial transaction card fraud tied to a May 4 theft report at an Old National Bank in Woodbury, according to MN Crime. In June 2026, Hennepin County prosecutors separately charged Lowe with felony identity theft and aggravated forgery stemming from an April 16 bank fraud report at an Old National Bank in Hennepin County.
Then in August 2026, according to The Watch MN, Lowe was charged in Washington County District Court with felony attempted theft by swindle and aggravated forgery after allegedly presenting a forged photo ID at a Hugo bank on July 16, in an attempt to withdraw $36,000 to buy a car. Taken together, the cases suggest a repeated pattern of alleged bank fraud activity concentrated in Washington County over just a few months.
What Lowe Could Face in Court
The two identity theft counts in the Woodbury and St. Paul case each carry a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. Under Minnesota Statute § 609.527, identity theft resulting in a financial loss exceeding $2,500 or involving more than three direct victims is a felony carrying that same penalty range, according to FindLaw. If total losses across a defendant's cases exceed $35,000 or involve eight or more victims, the statute allows for penalties up to 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine, according to McDonough Law. State law also allows courts to order restitution of at least $1,000 per victim on top of any criminal fines or imprisonment.
Part of a Broader Fraud Surge
The allegations against Lowe land amid a sharp rise in reported financial fraud across Minnesota and the country. Reported fraud losses among Minnesotans aged 60 and older more than doubled in a single year, climbing 113% from $52.3 million in 2024 to $111.4 million in 2025, per FBI internet crime data cited by The Watch MN. Nationally, identity theft complaints to the Federal Trade Commission rose 31% in 2025 to more than 1.35 million reports, with total fraud and identity theft losses reaching $15.8 billion, according to Experian. The Federal Trade Commission's own 2025 data found imposter scams were the top-reported fraud category nationwide, often stemming from fake bank alerts and unauthorized account access.
Woodbury's own Public Safety Department published outreach materials in July warning residents about active bank impersonation and financial fraud schemes, urging people to “Stop, Think, Verify” before withdrawing or transferring funds. Hoodline has previously covered related organized bank fraud activity in the Twin Cities, including a Lows gang bank fraud guilty plea and a separate multi-state bank fraud spree that stretched across Minnesota and Wisconsin.
