MIAMI – A fraudster found James Bond — not the British secret agent working for MI6 under the codename 007 — but the real holder of a Truist bank account, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Detectives said Austin Elijah Swope went on an organized crime spree that started a few weeks after celebrating his 22nd birthday, and included months of bank heists, according to police.
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Swope used stolen information on fake identifications to be able to withdraw cash out of legitimate bank accounts that did not belong to him, according to police.
Swope, who is 6 foot 2 inches tall and weighs over 200 pounds, was at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Thursday afternoon in Miami-Dade County, records show.
Swope was facing charges in three open cases that prosecutors filed in January, April, and May, and he had an arraignment hearing scheduled for May 15, records show.
Swope’s most recent arrest was on Monday at Loxahatchee, an unincorporated rural community, in Palm Beach County, records show. Deputies extradited him to Miami-Dade where correctional officers booked him at about 10:25 a.m., on Wednesday.
TRUIST BANK CASES
Detective Jeffrey Brito was able to get a Miami-Dade warrant on April 27 for Swope’s arrest for two bank fraud cases. Swope already had a January credit card fraud case pending in Miami-Dade.
Brian Welshans, Truist’s financial crimes senior investigator, had already provided Brito with surveillance photos showing Swope’s distinct tattoos and long hair, according to the warrant.
Truist reimbursed two victims $50,000 after Swope used a fake North Carolina driver’s license to make six withdrawals in five days at Truist, at 12390 SW 120 St., in Three Lakes, police said.
The alleged withdrawals: $5,500 on Dec. 2, $12,000 on Dec. 3, $6,500 and $8,000 on Dec. 5, $8,500 on Dec. 6, and $9,500 on Dec. 7.
Swope defrauded Bond in November in Miami-Dade, according to police. The alleged two withdrawals of $2,700 from Bond’s Truist bank account were on Nov. 22, and Nov. 26 at the branch at 10690 NW 12 St., in Doral.
3 PENDING CASES
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Teresa Pooler is presiding over Swope’s three pending cases, court records show.
In the open May 4 case, Swope was facing charges of organized fraud, grand theft, two counts of uttering forged instruments, and fraudulent use of personal identification information.
In the open April 27 case, Swope was facing six counts of uttering a forged instrument, organized fraud, grand theft, and fraudulent use of personal identification.
In the open Jan. 4 case, Swope was facing felony charges of possession of a fictitious driver’s license, credit card forgery, and possession or use of fraudulent identification.
Records show prosecutors dropped six other charges in the Jan. 4 case: Organized scheme to defraud, two counts of possession of a fictitious driver’s license, two counts of possession or use of fraudulent identification, and credit card forgery.
Also on Jan. 4, police officers had accused Swope of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance during his Jan. 3 arrest in Miami-Dade, but prosecutors dropped that case on Feb. 13, court records show.
Detectives were asking anyone with information about the cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.