‘Banker’ charged for stealing $36.4M from couple’s savings in one month

Shemaiah Ryan, called ‘Banker’, a 23-year-old unemployed resident of Bent Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, was charged on Friday after he was found defrauding a couple of some $36.4 million. The monies were taken out of the couple’s account during September 2022 via online banking and ATM withdrawal.

Ryan is facing 48 counts of fraud. Police Headquarters in a statement said Ryan was charged with 25 counts of simple larceny. He is accused of defrauding Carl Peterkin and his wife, Bernadette of $4.8 million.

He is also charged with 23 counts of Conspiracy to Commit Computer-Related Fraud. Police said with crime, Ryan is accused of defrauding the couple of $31.6 million.

After he made his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Fabayo Azore, Ryan was placed on $50,000 bail on each count amounting to $2.4 million.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The matter was adjourned to May 16, 2025 for report.

Police reported that Carl and his wife hold a joint savings account at a city bank (name withheld).

According to the police, they never applied for or were issued with ATM Cards, nor have they signed up for Internet Banking.

Ryan, in September 2022, reportedly conspired with persons to make a National Identification Card in the name of Carl Peterkin using all his information. The person then went into the city bank at its branch on Camp Street, presented the ID card and represented himself as Carl Peterkin, requested an ATM card and signed up for Internet Banking.

The accused then contacted Donna Edwards and her daughter Chelsea Edwards (both of whom he had known for a number of years) and told them that he is a contractor doing Government Road Projects in Berbice and he does not get the time to go to the bank in Georgetown to withdraw monies to pay his workers in time.

Ryan reportedly requested the mother and daughter to transfer monies to their accounts, which they will withdraw and hand over to him, and they agreed.

During the period September 02, 2022 and September 19, 2022, on 13 occasions, Ryan transferred the sum of $17.9 million from Carl and Bernadatte’s account into Chelsea Edwards’ account, via internet banking.

Additionally, between September 7, 2022 and September 27, 2022, he also, on 13 occasions transferred $13.6 million from the couple’s account to Donna Edwards’ account via internet banking.

Police said Chelsea and Donna then withdrew the said cash and handed same to the accused.

Police further revealed that, during the September 02, 2022 and September 30, 2022, on 27 occasions, Ryan went to several ATM locations in and around Georgetown where he used the ATM card and withdrew the sum of $4.8 million from the couple’s account.

On all occasions, he was caught on CCTV doing the ATM withdrawals.