Three Oregon men were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to an elaborate check fraud scheme involving a logistics company.
On September 29, 2026, officials announced that Cody James VanWinkle, 30, Kei-Jian Buckley, 32, and Bruce Edward Jones, Jr., 30, were indicted by a Portland jury on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
All three men pleaded not guilty.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, VanWinkle, Buckley, and Jones stole checks and altered the payee line and dollar amount so that the checks would go to them instead of the intended payee.
The three men allegedly formed an LLC called Pacific Swift Logistics, which officials described as a “sham business,” in order to further the scheme.
The defendants, along with recruits, deposited the fraudulent and forged checks via wire into accounts controlled by VanWinkle, Buckley, or Jones. Also as part of the scheme, the defendants and their recruits reportedly withdrew, attempted to withdraw, or transferred the funds from the forged checks before they were flagged by financial institutions.
When recruits withdrew money from the forged checks, they gave a portion of the funds to VanWinkle, Buckley, and Jones, authorities said.
The defendants are scheduled for trial on November 24, 2026.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigations.
