Over $360,000, was reported stolen, with authorities estimating that the total could reach as high as $600,000.
The investigation, started in June, and has already led to the arrests of 40 individuals.
Local news outlet ABC13 reported that many of the suspects were based in Houston, but some were located as far away as Georgia and Illinois. Law enforcement conducted search warrants at two residences in McNair and Baytown, east of Houston.
Search Warrants and Arrests
The police have identified Gregory Edwards III, 23, Doc Frank, 25, Jayson Gipson, 20, and Lajewel McGilbray, 21, as the primary orchestrators of the operation.
Edwards, Gipson, and McGilbray face charges of computer security breaches, while all four have been charged with money laundering and participation in organized crime.
Additional suspects, many of whom were friends and family of the plan’s architects were detained for allowing stolen money to be funneled through their bank accounts. The money laundering was an attempt to avoid detection.
