GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: In a stunning move, federal prosecutors have indicted a large bank fraud ring, led by Clayton Leon Bias Jr., accused of orchestrating a scheme that stole over $987,000 from seven financial institutions. The Western District of Washington U.S. District Court is the venue for this grim tale of financial deceit.
According to Acting United States Attorney Annette L. Hayes, ten defendants are named in the indictment, with Bias Jr., 25, and nine accomplices facing charges including fraud and aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that since November 2010, the ring operated using 219 different bank accounts to siphon off over $987,000.
Eight of the defendants are currently in custody, having made their initial appearances today in U.S. District Court. Two others remain at large, while one is being held in state custody and will appear next week. The scheme involved stolen checks, which were fraudulently deposited into various bank accounts, followed by cash withdrawals with debit cards.
Some of the victims were said to be complicit, allowing the fraudsters to use their debit cards. Law enforcement records indicate that many of the checks were obtained through car prowls. The banks targeted include Bank of America, Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU), TwinStar Credit Union, Wells Fargo Bank, Sound Credit Union, Key Bank, and Banner Bank – all federally insured.
The defendants named in the indictment are: Clayton Leon Bias Jr., 25, Kent; Arthur Napoleand Wilcher, 29, Tacoma; Calvin Dewayne Davis, 26, Federal Way; Okila Ayanna Malayka Ulmer, 31, Renton; Amanda Rae Riffle, 28, Tacoma; Relonna Dollinn Ward, 34, Tacoma; Avery Edward Lee, 32, Milton; Jonathan Marquiel Turner, 22, Federal Way; Shawn Andre Turner, 24, Kent; and Sephora Quilyn Watkins, 27, Tacoma.
The charges are only allegations, with the defendants presumed innocent until proven guilty. The investigation is ongoing, led by the U.S. Secret Service and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, with prosecution handled by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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