On June 29, 2023 officers with the Newark Police Department were alerted to a potential fraud in progress at the at WSFS Bank on Suburban Drive in Newark.
Officials said what initially appeared to be an ordinary transaction turned into an identity theft case involving stolen checks and assumed identities.
The incident unfolded when an individual attempted to deposit a stolen check using an assumed identity at WSFS Bank on June 28, 2023. However, bank employees became suspicious after determining that the subject was not the person on the account. The bank employees contacted the Newark Officers when the suspect returned to the bank the following day.
Upon arrival, the responding officers were unable to locate the suspect. Detectives took over the investigation and employed a variety of investigative techniques to identify potential suspects. These techniques included analyzing surveillance footage from nearby businesses and utilizing police dashcam video. Through examination of the evidence, a clearer picture of the subject started to emerge.
On July 21, 2023, when officers stopped two vehicles and apprehended three suspects in connection with the bank fraud case. The suspects were identified as 21-year-old Gavrelle Amankwa (Left) from Bear, Delaware, 20-year-old Emmanuel Nkansah (Center) from Hyattsville, Maryland, and 24-year-old Karim Nebie (Right) from Newark, Delaware.
Officials said subsequent searches of the suspects and their vehicles yielded evidence linking them to the identity theft scheme. As a result, all three suspects were arrested and charged with the following offenses:
- Identity Theft
- Attempted Theft of $1500 or Greater
- Conspiracy Second Degree
All three appeared in front of Justice of the Peace Court 2 before being released on their own recognizance pending further court proceedings.