MIAMI, FL – A brazen scheme to defraud a bank out of over $1 million using a stolen U.S. Treasury check has landed three men in federal custody. Orelien Martial Nguepi-Tankoua, Jean Paul Bayoi, and Tamblyn Milton Frasier were indicted this week, accused of a meticulously planned operation that involved fabricated identities and a calculated attempt to launder the stolen funds.
The scheme began to unravel in September 2021 when Tamblyn Milton Frasier allegedly opened a bank account in the Northern District of Georgia using a completely false identity. Authorities say Frasier presented a falsified driver’s license, obtained with the direct assistance of Jean Paul Bayoi, to establish the account. Crucially, the details used to create the fraudulent account were lifted directly from the payee information on a stolen United States Treasury check – a check worth in excess of $1 million.
Once the account was active, Orelien Martial Nguepi-Tankoua stepped in, depositing the stolen Treasury check via an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). The trio then attempted to withdraw the funds, believing they had successfully exploited the system. However, their efforts were quickly thwarted by a coordinated investigation led by the U.S. Department of the Treasury – Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service. These agencies intervened, successfully seizing the remaining funds before the criminals could make off with the cash.
The defendants – Frasier, Nguepi-Tankoua, and Bayoi – each made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judges in March, and were formally indicted on April 8. The charges are serious: conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. Federal prosecutors are now preparing to build a case that could send each man to prison for up to 30 years. The investigation also involved the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, alongside Special Agents in Charge Javan Wilson (Treasury OIG), Steven L. Hodges (USPS), Rafael Barros (USSS Miami Field Office), and Brett Skiles (FBI Miami Field Office), jointly announced the indictments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rinku Tribuiani and Joshua Paster are leading the prosecution, with Paster specifically handling asset forfeiture to recover any remaining ill-gotten gains.
It’s critical to remember that an indictment is not a conviction. All three defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Court documents related to the case – case number 25-mj-8126 – are available on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida website at www.flsd.uscourts.gov and through PACER at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it develops, bringing you the unvarnished truth from the federal courthouse.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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