Colombian duo jailed for bank-targeting scheme that stole £63,000 from vulnerable victims

Two Colombian nationals have been jailed for conspiring to steal more than £63,000 from bank customers across the North East, Merseyside and London. Armet Cortes, 55, and Willmer Guzman, 63, both of no fixed address, admitted conspiracy to steal and were handed 44-month prison terms at Newcastle Crown Court. The judge, Andrew Smith, noted the cases involved automatic deportation upon completion of their sentences. The offences, spanning August to April, targeted 14 victims and resulted in a total loss of £63,234.

Prosecutors described a coordinated, predatory scheme in which the pair identified vulnerable customers—often elderly or disabled—while they withdrew large sums of cash. After spotting a potential target, the defendants are said to have used discreet, coordinated signals to communicate with each other about when to act. The distraction itself was varied: in some instances, witnesses described coins being dropped or loud questioning to draw attention away from the victim before the money was taken. The court heard the largest single theft amounted to £15,000.

The court heard a striking example in Sunderland, where a 71-year-old wife and her husband, who later passed away, were surrounded as they attempted to enter their car. The husband used his walking stick in an effort to deter the attackers, but the couple’s money was stolen amid the confusion. Prosecutor Jessica Slaughter said the disruption was deliberate and systematic, spanning multiple locations across the country over seven months and involving 14 separate offences. She described the conspiracy as organized, with a clear pattern of targeting victims who were unlikely to resist or report the crime easily.

Judge Smith said the offences demonstrated a high level of planning and professionalism in identifying vulnerable victims and carrying out the thefts in banking halls where large cash withdrawals occurred. He noted the defendants’ use of subtle signs and gestures to coordinate their actions, and accepted that the pair had no prior UK convictions and had entered the country legally. They each claimed they were recruited into the activity by strangers who approached them.

Following the sentencing, North East Regional Crime Unit Detective Constable Andy Thompson condemned such crimes as profoundly traumatic for victims, both financially and psychologically. He stressed the unit’s commitment to pursuing those responsible in collaboration with Northumbria Police under Operation Sentinel, part of a broader effort to dismantle organised crime in the region. Detective Inspector Shaun Fordy echoed the message, urging the public to report suspicious activity around banks and to come forward if they have been victims. The sentences mark another step in authorities’ efforts to curb this form of organised crime and protect vulnerable people from targeted thefts.