Claude Casimir, a 35-year-old resident of Miami, Florida, has been sentenced for his involvement in a bank fraud scheme targeting Houston banks. Casimir pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft on September 7, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has ordered Casimir to serve 30 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. The sentencing follows an investigation into fraudulent transactions discovered by a local bank in early 2019.
The scheme involved the unauthorized use of personal identification numbers of actual bank customers to withdraw money using counterfeit cards.
Casimir admitted to renting a vehicle to access ATMs in the Houston area and withdrawing cash using counterfeit debit cards. He also confessed to driving another individual around Houston to conduct similar fraudulent transactions. In one instance on May 8, 2019, Casimir attempted to withdraw $2,000 using a debit card belonging to another individual without their consent.
The Secret Service conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez prosecuted the case. Casimir will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.