$5,000 Fake Check Fraud - Police Sting Catches Woman at Bank | Bodycam Analysis

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]On September 12th, 2025 officers responded to a bank after a report of a female attempting to cash a $5,000 fraudulent check.

[00:00:21]Hello, I'm from the airport. How are you?

[00:00:24]Good. How are you doing? Very good.

[00:00:26]Hi. Hi.

[00:00:30]Oh, hi. How are you?

[00:00:32]>> Good. So, these are the check.

[00:00:35]And then this is the ID. And she's here sitting in the lobby.

[00:00:38]Okay.

[00:00:41]All right, ma'am. Can you stand up real quick for me?

[00:00:44]Put your hands behind your back real quick. Um for what? Just going to detain you right now for the moment, all right?

[00:00:54]Not too tight? Um no. Okay.

[00:00:57]One second. Let me just I don't want to make it too tight on you. One second.

[00:01:01]What happened at the other bank?

[00:01:02]Okay.

[00:01:04]I'm just going to move this so it doesn't bother you, all right?

[00:01:07]>> Okay.

[00:01:17]You didn't call it out yesterday? No, not yet.

[00:01:23]All right. Let me put you in the back of my car and then I'll talk to you in a second, all right? Okay.

[00:01:51]What's your name?

[00:01:56]Do you have anything on you that's sharp or anything like that right now? Just my wallet.

[00:02:00]All right, no. I just got to My bad. No, you're good. No, I know you're just doing your job.

[00:02:05]No. Um wait, I've never been in here in a cop car, so like how do I Just sit down and then we'll talk to you after.

[00:02:13]All right. I'm going to turn the AC so you don't get hot back there, all right?

[00:02:15]Give me a second.

[00:02:18]Do you have a car? Um no. No car? How'd you get here? I got dropped off. You got dropped off? Okay. Where is he?

[00:02:25]Um I honestly don't know where he is.

[00:02:27]Well, he he was coming back to pick you up, so where is he?

[00:02:30]Right, I don't know where he is. He's supposed to be coming back.

[00:02:37]Who is it? What's his name?

[00:02:38]Um I only know him as Fredo.

[00:02:41]You know him as Fredo?

[00:02:42]Where's he from?

[00:02:44]Miami. Miami? What kind of car does he drive?

[00:02:48]Um um right now he's in a Genesis, a white Genesis. A white Genesis?

[00:02:55]Okay.

[00:03:00]Is there anything in the bag that you shouldn't have? Um Drugs, guns, weapons, anything?

[00:03:06]Just my vape.

[00:03:09]Only just a vape?

[00:03:11]Okay.

[00:03:12]Um I'm sorry. I know I probably can't, but can I call my mom or dad?

[00:03:17]You can't call anybody right now. Okay.

[00:03:28]Sir, that's for you. Okay. Thank you. Um now I just need somebody to sign off on this one statement.

[00:03:34]>> Yes, I will do it.

[00:03:34]>> And then can you have your ID as well, please?

[00:03:37]>> Sure.

[00:03:37]Thank you.

[00:03:39]You're welcome.

[00:03:41]I'm just going to read you your rights real quick before I uh try to talk to you. Um you have the right to remain silent.

[00:03:48]Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to uh presence of an attorney before and during uh answering any questions.

[00:03:58]If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be uh appointed to you through the court.

[00:04:04]Do you understand those rights?

[00:04:06]Okay. Do you wish to talk to me?

[00:04:10]I've never been I don't know what I'm supposed to do in this situation. Okay.

[00:04:14]Well, >> I'm sorry. Okay. Well, I mean as of right now that's a fake check.

[00:04:21]Okay. All right.

[00:04:23]Um >> I'm sorry. Do you think you could just like pull my hair behind my ear? I don't mean to like Yeah, it's like annoying me. I'm sorry.

[00:04:30]Thank you.

[00:04:31]Okay. Thank you.

[00:04:33]So, do you um So, it's a fake check.

[00:04:38]Obviously you were brought here, I guess, to cash the check.

[00:04:42]But the check's made out to your name.

[00:04:45]Um Who Who is the guy that you know again that dropped you off? Uh I don't really know his name name, but it I know him as Fredo. Fredo? Yeah. Okay. And how many other places have you gone today?

[00:04:59]Um I just went to one and then initially I didn't want to keep going cuz I was afraid of this.

[00:05:09]But um whatever, he told me I was going to get left stranded, so. Does he have anyone else working for him today?

[00:05:18]Um not going into banks, but there's like another person driving.

[00:05:24]So, there's two drivers?

[00:05:26]No, so he's also walking into banks. We have a He has a driver. And then they're just >> He's also walking into banks as well?

[00:05:34]And you don't know his name, just as Fredo? No, I I Well, I saw one of the checks. I think it's like Julian Laquange. It's with a J. I just can't I can't remember.

[00:05:44]>> I believe it's J. Okay. And last name?

[00:05:48]You got me there. Got you. Welcome.

[00:05:52]Um I don't know like one like another one.

[00:05:56]Okay.

[00:06:00]All right. We will um We'll figure this out. All right. He's going to talk to you in a few minutes, okay?

[00:06:10]You have anything else you want to tell me?

[00:06:13]Um You from Hialeah?

[00:06:16]Okay.

[00:06:18]All right, give me a few minutes.

[00:06:19]>> Am I going to like go to jail?

[00:06:21]You're getting arrested today, yeah.

[00:06:23]There's no way out of that one.

[00:06:25]I've never been arrested before.

[00:06:28]I understand.

[00:06:29]>> I'm sorry. I'm just It's fine. I don't really know how to show emotion and stuff. I'm just kind of trying to process everything together. Yeah.

[00:06:36]Okay. It's fine.

[00:06:38]I'll be right back.

[00:06:42]Let's go over that.

[00:06:44]The arrest raises three constitutional questions: probable cause, Miranda timing, and Fifth Amendment waiver.

[00:06:50]Under Illinois versus Gates, probable cause requires totality of circumstances.

[00:06:56]The bank delivered a complete package: duplicate check number, mismatched handwriting, abnormal paper stock, blank memo line, and a cross-branch photo ID.

[00:07:07]That satisfies the Fourth Amendment threshold for a warrantless arrest. The more serious issue is Miranda timing.

[00:07:14]The subject was handcuffed and seated in a patrol vehicle unambiguously in custody under Berkemer versus McCarty before rights were ever read.

[00:07:23]The officer asked substantive questions about the scheme for nearly 3 minutes in that window.

[00:07:29]Under Miranda versus Arizona, custodial interrogation requires prior advisement.

[00:07:34]Those pre-Miranda statements are now suppressible at trial. Miranda was eventually read correctly.

[00:07:40]The subject responded, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

[00:07:44]Under Berghuis versus Thompkins, that ambiguity is not an invocation of silence or counsel.

[00:07:50]By continuing to speak, she impliedly waived her rights.

[00:07:54]Every word that followed is admissible.

[00:07:56]She then voluntarily described the entire operation: the orchestrator, the locations, the participants.

[00:08:04]That cooperation cannot reverse the legal jeopardy she created by speaking without counsel.

[00:08:10]Under the Fifth Amendment, the correct response to "I don't know what to do" is three words: "I want a lawyer. I want" Well, that's the one from earlier. No, thanks.

[00:08:25]So, this is This is from the earlier.

[00:08:27]Different clients, different the same.

[00:08:30]Okay.

[00:08:32]Well, um okay, yeah.

[00:08:34]>> That's the earlier today.

[00:08:36]This is from the other This is from the other Okay.

[00:08:41]>> So, but uh you said airport, right?

[00:08:43]>> Airport and Pine Ridge. Uh the banking center name is Carol. Okay. Just so I know.

[00:08:49]And this is from here. And then this one's here. So, how did you guys realize? Was it just um anything distinctive? So, this is the one that Amara asked, of course. And then I quickly remembered the ID, the face.

[00:09:03]Once she walked in, I realized it was the same person.

[00:09:05]>> you They They sent you This is what uh the manager from airport sent you. Correct. Okay. And then once you saw her come in here, you recognized the name and the face and >> the face, actually, not the name. This face I recognized.

[00:09:19]>> You remember the face from the uh the email, and then once you got the ID, you kind of were like, "Oh, this is the same person."

[00:09:25]>> Correct. And then I reviewed the account.

[00:09:28]>> Uh-huh.

[00:09:28]>> And this check number is already been used. And then this check feels like a No, it's weird.

[00:09:35]Plus, customer don't use this check time.

[00:09:39]I don't know if it's a >> So, William check number's been used. Correct.

[00:09:46]Handwritings are different than his normal writing. And writing different.

[00:09:53]And you said the material doesn't feel like a >> material feels weird for the check. You know my check. Okay. And Um memo line filled out usually with for whatever.

[00:10:16]Okay.

[00:10:18]And that's pretty much it. So, this is the email you received. This is the attachment.

[00:10:24]Uh Okay, yes. Cuz it's only these two and then obviously the check. I have her ID.

[00:10:31]Do you need a photocopy of this right here? You copy that? Okay. And we have this he has your information. You gave me the ID. I think that's everything.

[00:10:42]Thank you guys. I'll call you guys if I need any more stuff. Thank you. Have a good one.

[00:10:51]Okay.

[00:11:01]No, I think I got everything. Um Just throw Can you throw that in the wallet if you could reach?

[00:11:20]Melanie, what is this?

[00:11:25]Delta 9 or Delta 8 you said?

[00:11:28]So, is that going to pop for anything if it gets tested or anything like that?

[00:11:33]Okay.

[00:11:36]I'll test it at the I'll test it at the station.

[00:11:39]All right. Well, like the officer said, pretty much you're going to be arrested right now just cuz of the check. It's been used. It's fraudulent.

[00:11:48]So, I'll be taking you down to the jail.

[00:11:51]Um from there you could contact whatever.

[00:11:55]But, pretty much that's pretty much how the day's going to go now. All right?

[00:12:00]You'll be going with your belongings so you don't have to worry. They'll They'll receive your phone and wallet and your bag and all that.

[00:12:09]Yep. I'll head to the station right after. I don't know if you're going to be there. I'll meet up with you.

[00:12:14]All right.

[00:12:15]Let me know if you need anything else.

[00:12:17]No, I think that should be everything.

[00:12:18]All right. All right. Thanks, man.

[00:12:20]Sounds good.

[00:12:23]The arresting officer receives a B+.

[00:12:26]Probable cause was solid, force was proportionate, and subject welfare was actively maintained.

[00:12:32]The deduction is for reversed Miranda, sequencing a procedural gap that creates unnecessary suppression risk. The subject receives a C+.

[00:12:41]She participated in an organized multi-location fraud scheme with apparent knowledge of its illegality, then waived her Fifth Amendment rights at the most consequential moment of her arrest. Bank staff receive an A-.

[00:12:55]Their interbranch alert system, fraud detection protocol, and full evidentiary cooperation were the foundation of this entire arrest. Three lessons.

[00:13:05]First, Miranda must be read before questioning begins, not after the patrol car door closes.

[00:13:11]Second, a subject who says, "I don't know what to do." needs to hear, "You have the right to an attorney." not more questions.

[00:13:20]Third, entering the bank alone carries the full legal weight of the scheme.

[00:13:25]Conspiracy law does not require planning it. Let us know if there is an interaction or legal topic you would like us to discuss in the comments below.

[00:13:33]Thank you for watching.