FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Five Fresno residents have pleaded guilty in a yearlong bank fraud scheme that involved stolen checks worth more than $1 million, federal prosecutors said.
U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced the guilty pleas, which include Zorian Temple, 25, who pleaded guilty to bank fraud today. Davonntae Barfield, 31, Zion Brewer, 40, and Nyric Hinton, 28, pleaded guilty on Aug. 17, 2026. Harry Cooper Neal, 30, pleaded guilty on Aug. 31, 2026.
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According to court records, the scheme ran from 2022 to 2023 and began with Brewer, a U.S. Postal Service employee, stealing checks from the mail and giving them to the other defendants. Prosecutors said the others then recruited bank account holders, or used their own bank accounts, to deposit the stolen checks and withdraw the proceeds.
The…
Investment fraud targets the human desire for financial growth by promising high returns with “low to no risk.”
- Ponzi Schemes: Named after Charles Ponzi, these schemes pay “returns” to earlier investors using the capital brought in by newer investors. There is no actual underlying business; the system collapses when new recruitment slows down.
- Pyramid Schemes: Similar to Ponzi schemes, but participants are usually required to sell a product or service. The primary “profit” comes from the recruitment fees of new members rather than actual product sales.
- Pump and Dump: Fraudsters spread false, positive rumors about a cheap stock (the “pump”) to drive up the price. Once the price peaks, they sell their shares (the “dump”), leaving other investors with worthless stock.