A Senegalese man living in Dallas was arrested at the boarding gate of a one-way trip to Malaysia, and US prosecutors say he led a ring that targeted more than US$373 million in American bank accounts. Muhamed Dieye, 35, is one of 14 people named in a federal indictment, a formal set of criminal charges, in Texas, and all the charges are allegations until proven in court.
For US readers, the case shows how criminals take over bank accounts by hijacking phone numbers, a method known as SIM swapping. It also names some of the biggest US banks as targets of the alleged ring.
What Happened
Federal prosecutors in northern Texas (the Northern District of Texas) say Dieye was the leader and chief architect of a conspiracy to hack bank accounts across the United States. The 22-count indictment, returned on 26 August, was made public after the arrest in Florida of Terrence Dudley, one of the alleged main accomplices.
The 14 defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Some of the alleged accomplices are accused of working inside large banks and telecommunications companies.
How the Alleged Scheme Worked
Between July 2023 and November 2024, the group allegedly stole identity data, made fake official documents and posed as account holders. It also moved victims’ phone lines to new SIM cards, a trick that lets criminals receive the security codes that banks send by text message.
The accounts were held at major banks including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Truist Bank and the brokerage Charles Schwab. In one attempt, the ring allegedly tried to wire US$2 million to Emirates Islamic Bank, a bank in the United Arab Emirates.
Prosecutors say Dieye held a computer file with detailed personal and business information on nearly 3,000 victims. Their accounts held more than US$373 million in total, which is the amount targeted, not necessarily the amount stolen.
A Senegalese port city. File photo.The Arrest at JFK
Prosecutors say Dieye and his family had left their Dallas home for a one-way trip to Malaysia. Agents arrested him at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport as he scanned his boarding pass.
Prosecutors say he resisted arrest and agents had to subdue him. A federal judge in New York first granted bail, but the government blocked his release, and he is now held in Texas awaiting trial.
What He Faces
If convicted, Dieye faces up to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and up to 20 years for wire fraud. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two years that must be added to any other sentence.
The investigation involved the FBI, the US Secret Service (a federal law-enforcement agency) and the Department of Homeland Security. An investigative office at the US embassy in Dakar also supported the case.
What It Means for You
If you bank with one of the named institutions, nothing in the charges says your account was affected, and the banks are described as targets, not suspects. Customers who worry can check their statements and ask their phone carrier to add a PIN that blocks unauthorised SIM changes.
The case sets no new rules for Senegalese or other West African travellers. It is a single criminal prosecution of named individuals.
What Is Not Known
It is not known how much money the ring actually took, because prosecutors cite the US$373 million held in targeted accounts, not a loss figure. The trial date for Dieye and his co-defendants has not been announced in the details released so far.
Dieye’s defence has not been reported, and all 14 defendants are presumed innocent. The roles of the 13 co-defendants, including the alleged insiders at banks and phone companies, are not fully described.
More: Senegal news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Muhamed Dieye?
He is a 35-year-old Senegalese national living in Dallas, whom prosecutors call the leader of an alleged bank-fraud ring. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
What Is SIM Swapping?
It is a fraud in which criminals get a victim’s phone number moved to a SIM card they control. They then receive the bank’s text-message security codes and can enter the account.
How Much Money Was Stolen?
Prosecutors say the ring targeted accounts holding more than US$373 million, belonging to nearly 3,000 victims. The amount actually taken is not stated in the public charging summary.
What Penalties Does Dieye Face?
He faces up to 30 years for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and up to 20 years for wire fraud. Aggravated identity theft adds a mandatory two years.
Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Texas, press release on the indictment of fourteen defendants in a nationwide bank account takeover conspiracy; indictment returned 26 August 2026 in the Northern District of Texas.
Africa: The New Scramble — why the world’s powers are competing for the continent
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI ·