Macon man wanted in email scheme after $20,000 skimmed from an Alabama bank account

A Macon man is wanted in an alleged email phishing scheme that skimmed $20,000 from an Alabama bank account.

John Pierre, 25, is being sought on charges of money laundering, theft by using computers, financial transaction card fraud and theft by receiving, according to a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office news release.

On April 11, Capital City Bank reached out to the sheriff’s Financial Crimes Unit about an email phishing scheme used to steal money from multiple bank accounts.

Two days before, $20,000 was stolen from an Alabama bank account through wire transactions that led to an account in Bibb County. The account was traced to Pierre and an address in the 1200 block of Glendale Avenue, the release said.

The stolen funds were used to buy gift cards and money orders totaling nearly $6,000. The Alabama account was frozen before all the money could be withdrawn from it.

Authorities searched the Glendale Avenue residence earlier this week and found lots of gift cards, state IDs and credit cards in multiple names along with cell phones and computers.

Pierre wasn’t there when the residence was searched, but his girlfriend, 35-year-old Samantha Riccle Cole, of Macon, was at home. She was charged with theft by receiving stolen property and money laundering. She’s free on a $16,700 bond pending trial.

Pierre is known to frequent the Atlanta area and has ties to Miami, Florida, the release said.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Bibb Sheriff’s Office at 478-751 -7500, or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.