FirstAlerts

Beaumont Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud Involving Altered Treasury Check

Byron Demetrius Franklin, 61, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for attempting to deposit an altered U.S. Treasury check.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 4, 2026, 3:52 p.m. ET
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A Beaumont man has been to federal prison for a bank fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs on September 4, 2026. Byron Demetrius Franklin, 61, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and was to 27 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 3, 2026. According to information presented in court, in January 2025, Franklin attempted to deposit a U.S. Treasury check in the amount of $1,197,149.98 at a Walmart ATM in Houston to a USAA federal banking account. Franklin called USAA and spoke with a bank financial investigator to complain that the ATM misread the check amount and only deposited $119,714.99. USAA credited Franklin's account the difference of $1,077,434.99 for the reported error, but gave Franklin access to the $119,714.99 while they verified the check's authenticity. Between January 18 and January 20, 2025, Franklin withdrew a total of $5,507.90 from the account via JP Morgan Chase and 5Point Credit Union ATMs in Beaumont before USAA closed the account because the check was found to have been altered. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and USAA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.

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  1. Version 14 Sept 2026, 19:52current

    First published.

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