Six defendants, including several Chicagoans, have been indicted in federal court for a scheme to defraud Twin Cities financial institutions. One of the suspects was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and allegedly used her position to identify and steal targeted mail pieces containing checks as part of the scheme.
Willie Roy Turner Jr., aka “J.S.B.” and “Little Willie,” 29, of Chicago, along with five co-conspirators, has been indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen.
Turner Jr. is the lead and one of six defendants in the case, and all were indicted by grand jury on June 26, 2026. Turner Jr. made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins on Sept. 4, 2026, a press release from the U.S. Attorney said.
Also charged in the conspiracy:
- Marc Anderson, aka “K.T.C.” and “Sam Smith,” is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
- Billy Ray Cameron Jr., aka “J.A.M.,” of Chicago, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
- Devontay Colbert, aka “J.A.M.,” of Chicago, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
- Dontae Williams, aka “F.O.A.,” of Chicago, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
- Takiya Shemwell, of Chicago, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
At least 15 banks, credit unions, or financial institutions operating in Minnesota were named as victim businesses in the indictment.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office:
From at least November 2022 to at least September 2024, Turner Jr., Anderson, Cameron Jr., Colbert, and Williams knowingly conspired to defraud banks and credit unions in the Twin Cities area by negotiating stolen checks. The five defendants opened, or attempted to open, fraudulent and unauthorized bank accounts in the names of business victims at Twin Cities financial institutions.
They then deposited checks payable to or paid from the business victims, which had been stolen from the United States mail, into the accounts using fraudulent personal identification and documentation related to the business victims. The defendants then fraudulently withdrew or attempted to withdraw the funds.
The five defendants created fake LLCs in victims’ names and used the LLC documents and fraudulent identification documents to open or attempt to open fraudulent bank accounts. After depositing the funds, the defendants and their co-conspirators withdrew the fraudulently obtained funds through cash withdrawals or cashier’s check purchases.
As part of the scheme, Turner Jr., Cameron Jr., and Shemwell conspired to steal the business victims’ checks from the U.S. mail. Shemwell, who was then an employee of the United States Postal Service in Chicago, identified and stole business mail pieces which contained checks paid from or payable to the business victims. Shemwell then sold the business victims’ checks to Turner Jr. and Cameron Jr. in exchange for payments on a peer-to-peer money transfer application. Turner Jr. and Cameron Jr. then shared the stolen checks with other co-conspirators and with each other.
Over the course of the scheme, the conspirators deposited or attempted to deposit business victim checks worth over $5.1 million at Twin Cities financial institutions. In total, the defendants were successful in stealing over $1.5 million in business victim funds.
A regional spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Nick Puglia, weighed in on the indictment. “With at least $9 billion in fraud occurring under Peggy Flanagan’s watch, Minnesota has become a haven for criminal fraudsters stealing taxpayer dollars. Flanagan would rather pander to the radical left than protect Minnesotans’ pocketbooks,” Puglia said in a statement.
The Minnesota Financial Crimes Task Force (MNFCTF) was the investigatory agency in this case, in collaboration with United States Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Eagan Police Department, Richfield Police Department, and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, with significant assistance from the United States Marshals Service in Minnesota, Illinois, and Arizona.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
