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Daniel Usher, ATM Fraud, Santa Ana CA, 2018
SANTA ANA, California – A brazen scheme targeting elderly Bank of America customers has landed a Los Angeles man in federal court. Daniel Jermaine Usher, 26, of South Los Angeles, was convicted yesterday of three counts of aggravated identity theft after a two-day bench trial before United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney. Usher’s method? Simple, predatory, and effective: “shoulder surfing” at ATMs.
The Secret Service investigation revealed Usher loitered near Bank of America ATMs, watching over the shoulders of unsuspecting customers as they entered their PINs. He specifically targeted elderly and minority individuals. When customers left the machines without completing their transactions – a common oversight – Usher would immediately re-enter the stolen PIN, granting him access to their accounts and allowing him to fraudulently withdraw cash. He pleaded guilty last month to five counts of bank fraud, admitting to the illegal withdrawals.
The evidence presented at trial painted a disturbing picture of calculated theft. Judge Carney found that Usher “piggybacked off of the victims’ use of their ATM cards and the encoded information therein and misrepresented himself as the victims by re-entering their PIN to fraudulently withdraw funds.” Two of the three identity theft victims required translators during the trial, highlighting the vulnerability of the targeted demographic.
This conviction comes as the Justice Department announced a wave of cases against over 250 individuals accused of defrauding the elderly – a grim reminder of the increasing prevalence of scams targeting vulnerable populations. The Secret Service’s relentless pursuit of these criminals, even in seemingly small-scale operations like Usher’s, is crucial to protecting those most at risk.
Usher now faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the five bank fraud counts. Adding to that, he will also serve a mandatory two-year sentence for each of the three aggravated identity theft convictions. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21st. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul C. LeBlanc and Daniel S. Lim of the Santa Ana Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
The case serves as a stark warning: vigilance at ATMs is paramount. Customers are urged to shield their PIN entry from view and to ensure they fully complete their transactions before leaving the machine. While banks continue to implement security measures, personal awareness remains the first line of defense against these predatory criminals.
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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