An alleged member of a Miami gang is facing charges in what authorities said was a bank scam targeting an elderly Florida Keys man who had nearly $20,000 stolen from him.
Sheldon Adams Vandyke, 26, was arrested Monday on a felony charge of scheming to defraud a person over 65, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
Vandyke was arrested by the Broward Sheriff’s Office at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after returning from a trip to Belize, officials said.
Authorities said Vandyke is a member of the ABK, or “Any Body Killer” gang, which is known for committing violent crimes along with white-collar crimes like identity theft.
Nearly a dozen alleged ABK members were arrested earlier this month after authorities raided a Miami short-term rental home they were using as a phony bank call center to try to rip off victims, officials said.
The investigation into Vandyke began in October when the 84-year-old who lives in the Lower Keys alerted the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office that he’d received a call from someone falsely claiming to be from Bank of America.
The person, later identified as Vandyke, told the victim there were issues with his account, so the victim provided his personal banking information, which led to the loss of about $19,800, the sheriff’s office said.
Security video showed Vandyke at ATMs in Miami attempting to withdraw money from an account he set up with the stolen money, authorities said.
The Miami Police Department Gangs Intelligence Unit confirmed Vandyke is a known criminal gang member with no known legitimate source of income, the sheriff’s office said.
Vandyke was booked into jail and his bond was set at $75,000.
The sheriff’s office said they’re working with banking officials to recover the victim’s money.
Want more insights? Join Grow With Caliber - our career elevating newsletter and get our take on the future of work delivered weekly.
