15 People Charged in $100K Bank Fraud Scheme: Joliet Police

A Joliet man allegedly orchestrated a complicated computer scheme to defraud banks by enlisting people to give him access to their bank accounts and then sharing the ill-gotten profits with them, Joliet Police Lt. Brian Dupuis said.

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Otis Blackmon, 21, has been charged with 85 felony counts ranging from criminal enterprise organization to computer fraud to defrauding a financial institution in connection with the conspiracy police initially uncovered in summer 2011. It's estimated that more than $100,000 was stolen.

Fourteen others have also been arrested or are being sought on arrest warrants for their roles in the fraud, Dupuis said. In all, police filed 265 criminal charges against Blackmon's alleged co-conspirators.

Police came upon the scheme by accident when a computer confiscated during a house raid two years ago turned up records of Blackmon's enterprise, Dupuis said.

An investigator -- an accountant prior to joining the police force -- was put in charge of untangling the records and figuring out how the fraud scheme worked, he said. 

Essentially, Blackmon figured out a way to use a computer to access bank records that allowed him to use a prepaid credit card to make what appeared to be legitimate deposits that would be removed via an ATM debit card or a cashier's check before the bank realized the money hadn't actually been deposited, Dupuis said.

In order to do this, Blackmon would enlist people to give him them their Social Security numbers, debit codes and online access to their bank accounts, Dupuis said. The accomplice would then be given a cut of the money Blackmon was able to collect, he said.

In the course of making the arrests, police also confiscated several weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle, a MAC-10 and multiple handguns and shotguns.

Joliet police provided this list of people already arrested in the scheme:

• Otis Blackmon, charged with 85 felony counts of financial crimes, including Class X Organizer of a Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise, computer tampering, financial institution fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, computer fraud, continuing financial crimes enterprise, conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud, conspiracy to commit theft by deception, theft by deception, and allowing use of a credit card by another. Bond is $250,000.
  
• Troy Norris, 22, was already in Illinois Department of Corrections custody for an unrelated crime. He was charged with 10 felony counts of financial crimes (continuing financial crimes enterprise, burglary, wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud). Bond is $100,000.
• Tony Gill, 22, 318 Pheasant Run, Joliet, 17 felony counts of financial crimes (continuing financial crimes enterprise, burglary, wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud, etc.). Bond is $50,000.
• Leroy Parrish, 31, 515 4th Ave., Joliet, 20 felony counts of financial crimes (continuing financial crimes enterprise, burglary, wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud, etc.). Bond is $50,000.
• Emmitt Parrish, 27, 322 S. Joliet, Joliet, two felony counts of financial institution fraud and conspiracy to commit theft by deception. Bond is $10,000.
• Jake Meyers, 22, 3015 Bloomfield Drive, Joliet, 20 felony counts of financial crimes (continuing financial crimes enterprise, burglary, wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud, etc.). Bond is $300,000.
• Roger Thompson, 22, 14150 S. Monticello Circle, Plainfield, for 22 felony counts of financial crimes (continuing financial crimes enterprise, burglary, wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud, etc.). Bond is $300,000.

These people are wanted on warrants stemming from the case:

• Dontavia Woodard, 26, 10 felony counts of conspiracy to commit theft by deception, theft by deception, conspiracy to commit identity theft, identity theft, conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and financial institution fraud. Bond is $50,000.
• Tivon McGivons, 30, five felony counts of conspiracy to commit theft by deception, conspiracy to commit identity theft and identity theft. Bond is $10,000.
• Brittany Cook, 23, five felony counts of conspiracy to commit theft by deception, conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud, financial institution fraud, and theft by deception. Bond is $10,000.
• Russell Bass, 24, seven felony counts of money laundering, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud, computer fraud, conspiracy to commit theft by deception, attempt financial institution fraud. Bond is $50,000.
• Darius Stuckey, 21, 17 felony counts of continuing financial crimes enterprise, burglary, wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud, etc. Bond is $200,000.
• Brian Gregory, 27, felony counts of financial institution fraud and conspiracy to commit theft by deception. Bond is $10,000.
• Deandre Jones, 20, 25 felony counts of continuing financial crimes enterprise, burglary, wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud, etc. Bond is $50,000.
• Yolanda Jones, 49, eight felony counts of continuing financial crimes enterprise, wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud, etc. Bond is $50,000.

Anyone with information on these suspects is asked to call the Joliet Police Department Investigations Division, 815-724-3020, or call Will County Crime Stoppers, 800-323-6734.