A convicted bank robber is expected to be sentenced in Los Angeles federal court Wednesday for running a nearly $1 million fraud scheme that targeted surfers at beaches in San Diego County and other Southern California areas whose bank cards and phones were lifted from their cars while they were catching waves.
Moundir Kamil, 56, of Orange County, pleaded guilty in September to one federal count each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, attempted bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Two co-defendants pleaded guilty to the same charges.
According to court documents and media reports, a member of the crime ring would watch surfers in San Diego County, Malibu, Manhattan Beach and elsewhere as they parked their cars and stashed their car keys before paddling out.
An accomplice on the beach would then confirm that the surfer had entered the water and give the all-clear for a crime partner to steal the key and break into the car.
Once the thieves had a wallet and phone, they handed the items to ring mastermind Kamil, who was able to hack facial recognition software and gain access to the phone's apps, according to federal prosecutors.
Then, while surfers were locked out of their cars, the thieves would empty bank accounts, investment holdings, crypto wallets and other money- holding programs. In an especially devious twist, when credit card companies called to check if there was fraudulent activity stemming from a purchase at stores such as Chanel or the Apple Store, the thieves, who had possession of the phone, would simply answer and approve the charges, documents show.
Stolen bank cards were used to purchase high-end luxury goods and expensive electronics, which Kamil would resell for cash during the course of the scheme, which operated from April 2021 through December 2022, prosecutors said.
Co-defendants Jordan Adams and Jennifer Pruneda previously pleaded guilty in the case, but further information is sealed from public view.
When arrested, Kamil had pictures of hundreds of stolen credit cards and debit cards belonging to identity-theft victims, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which is asking that he be sentenced to six years and three months in prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution and fees.