Florida man and woman plead guilty to stealing bank customers’ information through phone scams

CINCINNATI – Two defendants pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to commit bank fraud through a phone scam that compromised 11 bank accounts and more than $108,000.

Deon O. Noel, 28, and Diamond Bezada, 25, both of Miami, Florida, admitted to a scheme to defraud Fifth Third Bank and multiple individuals in the Southern District of Ohio with Fifth Third Bank accounts.

According to court documents, in August and September 2019, Noel and Bezada would call bank customers and fraudulently represent themselves as employees of the bank. These calls were used to obtain the bank account and security information of the customers.

Coconspirators would then use the stolen information and contact the bank pretending to be the bank customer and get the bank account information added to a pay app.

Noel and Bezada received more than $108,000, which they used to purchase goods, services and money orders, primarily in Las Vegas, Nevada. As part of their plea agreements, they agree to pay the total funds in restitution.

Conspiracy to commit bank fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the guilty pleas entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy S. Mangan and Ryan A. Keefe are representing the United States in this case.

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