More than $700,000 in fraudulent checks flooded banks across the Bronx and Manhattan as part of a calculated ATM deposit scheme led by Saibo Sidibeh, Mukhammad Fall, Mamady Danfakha, Alhansa Hydara, Mamadou Diallo, Demba Diakite, Mohammed Sabaly, Bangaly Doumbia, and Abubackr Danso. Federal prosecutors say the ring exploited third-party accounts to deposit forged checks and quickly withdraw funds—often via postal money orders—before banks could flag the fraud.
Federal authorities moved in swift waves: Sidibeh, Fall, Hydara, and Danso were arrested August 12, 2020, and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. Danfakha, Diallo, Diakite, and Doumbia were taken into custody this morning and are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron in Manhattan federal court. One defendant, Mohammed Sabaly, remains at large, wanted on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The criminal complaint, unsealed today in Manhattan federal court, details a coordinated fraud operation running from at least July 2018 through August 2019. The defendants allegedly used counterfeit checks to inject false balances into accounts, then siphoned money through ATM withdrawals and postal money orders—cleaning out cash before banks detected the ruse. Total fraudulent deposits exceeded $700,000, according to court documents.
Charges vary by defendant but include conspiracy to commit bank fraud, multiple counts of bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1344, and aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. Each count of bank fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years; aggravated identity theft adds a mandatory two-year prison term, to be served consecutively. The specific counts apply to Fall, Danfakha, Diallo, Hydara, and Diakite for conspiracy and multiple fraud charges. Sidibeh, Sabaly, Doumbia, and Danso face individual counts of bank fraud and identity theft.
Audrey Strauss, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, credited the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and NYPD for cracking the case. “This was a brazen, sustained effort to exploit banking systems for illegal profit,” Strauss said. Inspector-in-Charge Philip Bartlett of USPIS and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea both praised their teams’ relentless tracking of the suspects across boroughs and financial institutions.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew A. Rohrbach of the Office’s General Crimes Unit. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A federal judge will determine actual sentences if convictions are obtained. Sabaly remains a fugitive; authorities urge anyone with information to contact USPIS or local law enforcement immediately.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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