Judge releases Plano man charged with defrauding DeKalb bank

SYCAMORE – A Plano man accused of defrauding a DeKalb bank using multiple high school students’ bank accounts was released from DeKalb County Jail Tuesday after a judge’s ruling.

Smith was charged July 25 and arrested Monday night in Kendall County. He was booked into the jail in Sycamore about 6 p.m., officials with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said.

DeKalb County Judge Joseph Pedersen released Armani N. Smith, 20, from police custody pending a trial on 10 felony charges that allege Smith deposited multiple fake checks worth thousands of dollars into other people’s bank accounts and then quickly withdrew the funds.

In his ruling, Pedersen said Smith was eligible for pretrial release because his allegations do not include a violent crime.

“The defendant does not have any criminal history indicative of violent or abusive or assaultive behavior,” Pedersen said.

Prosecutors with the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office sought to keep Smith in jail. Before the Tuesday hearing, they filed a petition to deny his release, arguing that doing so would put the community in danger of another “complex financial crime,” records show.

When Smith was informed about the petition, he could be seen vigorously shaking his head.

Smith was charged July 25 with being the organizer of a financial crimes enterprise, three counts of conspiracy to commit a financial crime, one count of financial institution fraud involving more than $10,000 and five counts of forgery, according to DeKalb County court records.

If convicted of being the organizer of a financial crimes enterprise, a Class X felony, Smith faces six to 30 years in prison. The charge is not probational.

The DeKalb Police Department was contacted by a fraud investigator for First National Bank of Omaha in DeKalb, who told police that five fraudulent checks had been deposited into three separate customer accounts and then the money quickly withdrawn or transferred, according to a synopsis filed July 27 by the department.

Smith is accused of earning $13,571 through the scheme, court records show.

He allegedly contacted multiple high school-aged youth, soliciting their bank account information to make various deposits or withdraw funds through CashApp, court records show. Three of the bank’s customers told police they were contacted by Smith, who asked for their account and online banking information, which they gave him, according to the police synopsis.

The customers told police Smith had promised them money, which they did not receive. The fraudulent checks were deposited in February, court records show.

Pedersen ordered Smith not to leave the state. Smith also must remain under pretrial supervision pending trial.

“You understand you’re being released, there are allegations but if you commit any new offenses, even something as simple as a Class A misdemeanor that could be a basis for the estate to seek to revoke your pretrial release, you could be held in custody pending a trial. Do you understand that?” Pedersen asked Smith.

“Yes, your honor,” Smith replied.

He was represented by the DeKalb County Public Defender’s Office but told Pedersen he intends to hire his own lawyer.

He’s next expected to appear for arraignment at 2 p.m. Sept. 12.