“Banker” Charged with 48 Counts of Bank Fraud

— Accused of Defrauding Couple of Over $36 Million from Bank Account

April 4, 2025 – A 23-year-old Wortmanville man has been charged with 48 counts of bank-related fraud, accused of siphoning more than Gy$36 million from the savings account of a Georgetown couple over a period of one month in 2022.

The accused, Shemaiah Ryan, also known as ‘Banker’, of Bent Street, Wortmanville, was arrested by police on March 31, 2025, and formally charged today by detectives from the Fraud Squad of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Ryan faces the following charges:

• 25 counts of Simple Larceny, contrary to Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, amounting to Gy$4,829,000 stolen from Bernadette and Carl Peterkin.

• 23 counts of Conspiracy to Commit Computer-Related Fraud, under Section 22(b) of the Cyber Crime Act of 2018, totaling Gy$31,615,000.

The accused appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore in Georgetown Magistrate’s Court #3, where he pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at Gy$50,000 per count, totaling Gy$2.4 million. The matter has been adjourned to May 16, 2025, for report.

According to police report, investigation, the victims, Bernadette and Carl Peterkin, held a joint savings account at a city bank but had never applied for ATM cards or signed up for Internet banking.

On September 2, 2022, Ryan allegedly conspired with others to fraudulently obtain a National Identification Card in the name of Carl Peterkin, using his personal information.

Posing as Peterkin, the fraudster visited a Camp Street bank branch, where he applied for and received an ATM card and signed up for internet banking access.

With the fraudulent access in place, Ryan reportedly contacted longtime acquaintances Donna Edwards and her daughter Chelsea Edwards, claiming to be a contractor working on government road projects in Berbice.

He told them he needed help transferring money from his bank account to pay workers, as he didn’t have time to visit the bank himself.

Between September 2 and 19, 2022, Ryan allegedly transferred Gy$17,997,000 from the Peterkins’ account to Chelsea Edwards’ account, and from September 7 to 27, 2022, another Gy$13,618,000 was transferred to Donna Edwards’ account. Both women then withdrew the funds and handed them over to Ryan.

Additionally, during 27 ATM withdrawals between September 2 and 30, 2022, Ryan is accused of withdrawing Gy$4,829,000 from the Peterkins’ account at various locations across Georgetown. CCTV footage captured him at multiple machines carrying out the transactions.

The total amount defrauded from the Peterkins’ account is Gy$36,444,000.

The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming.

(Guyana Police Force)