Alert Chamberlain banker leads to arrest of three New Yorkers attempting to defraud South Dakota banks
Nov. 8—CHAMBERLAIN — Three men from New York were arrested in Chamberlain on Thursday, Nov. 4, after they attempted to defraud at least four banks across eastern South Dakota, authorities say.
Benshley Francillon, Clark Pauyo and Stephen Dorminvil, all between 20 and 22 years old, all from Brooklyn, New York, were arrested after an alert bank manager called police to report what she believed was a fraudulent check.
Police in Chamberlain say on the morning of Nov. 4, they received a call from the bank manager of Chamberlain's Wells Fargo, alerting them that bank locations in Sioux Falls, Yankton and Mitchell were working together to locate a group of individuals traversing the state in a U-Haul truck attempting to pass off bad checks to the bank. The manager wanted police to be aware in case the group stopped in Chamberlain.
Shortly after 1 p.m., police received a phone call from the same bank manager reporting that a man was inside the bank, attempting to pass a fraudulent check, and a white U-Haul truck was parked across the street.
Upon arrival at Wells Fargo, police located Francillon still inside the bank. Francillion allegedly admitted that he was with the men in the U-Haul and attempted to run. An officer managed to grab his arm and wrestle him to the ground.
Francillon allegedly resisted arrest and made an effort to place a call on his cell phone. He was eventually brought under control and placed in a squad car.
The bank manager told police that Francillon was attempting to deposit a check into another person's account. His name was not listed on the check nor the account he was depositing into. When the bank manager made a reference to a fraud hotline, Francillon allegedly said, "We don't have time for that."
According to the employees, Francillon matched the physical description of a suspect that attempted to pass a fraudulent check at Wells Fargo locations in Mitchell, Yankton and Sioux Falls.
An agent with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigations had confirmed with a New Mexico family — whose information was allegedly used in a fraud attempt in Mitchell — that nobody was authorized to deposit money to their account.
Authorities turned their focus to the white U-Haul parked across the street — which was backed into a spot and running. As they approached, they noticed approximately 27 checks on the dashboard that appeared to be visually similar to the one Francillon had allegedly attempted to deposit inside.
Officers confirmed that Francillon, Pauyo and Dorminvil appeared to match the descriptions of the individuals involved in the incidents in Sioux Falls, Yankton and Mitchell, and placed them under arrest.
None of the three men elected to share their side of the story with police.
Francillon was charged with forgery, identity theft and possessing a forged instrument with the intent to defraud. He faces a maximum penalty of nine years in prison, an $18,000 fine or both.
Pauyo and Dorminvil were each charged with aiding and abetting the crime of possessing a forged instrument with the intent to defraud. They each face a maximum penalty of two years in prison, a $4,000 fine or both.
Charges have yet to be filed in connection with the alleged fraud attempts in Sioux Falls, Yankton and Mitchell.
All three men are due in a Brule County courtroom on Nov. 24 for an initial appearance. All were released on a $5,000 cash bond.
