WAXAHACHIE, Texas — A Waxahachie man who helped orchestrate a sophisticated SIM card-swapping fraud scheme that stole more than $1.7 million from victims has been sentenced to federal prison.
Kimionte Bennett, 30, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Bennett previously pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after being indicted in July 2025.
The court also ordered Bennett to pay $1,769,438 in restitution to victims.
How the Scheme Worked
Court documents show Bennett coordinated multiple SIM-swap attacks, a cybercrime method used to hijack victims’ cellphone numbers.
Investigators said Bennett and his co-conspirators fraudulently reassigned victims’ phone numbers to SIM cards under their control. Once they gained access, the group intercepted multi-factor authentication codes sent by financial platforms.
Using those codes, the conspirators accessed victims’ cryptocurrency accounts and transferred funds without authorization.
Federal prosecutors said the scheme resulted in more than $1.7 million in confirmed losses.
Victims Describe Devastating Impact
During sentencing, one victim told the court the financial loss went far beyond digital assets.
“These weren’t just digital numbers on a screen; they represented my family’s savings, our future security, our dreams,” the victim said. “In an instant, it was all gone… the American dream that my parents worked so hard to build vanished.”
Co-Conspirators Also Sentenced
Two additional defendants connected to the fraud ring were prosecuted in related cases:
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Leticia Contreras, 30, of Dallas, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison.
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Osvaldo Guajardo, 31, of Houston, received a 30-month federal prison sentence.
Multi-Agency Investigation
The investigation involved multiple law enforcement partners, including:
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FBI Dallas Field Division
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FBI Omaha Field Division
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FBI Detroit Field Division
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FBI Cyber Division
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Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric B. Chen, Matthew Weybrecht, and Justin Beck prosecuted the case.
Federal officials continue to warn the public that SIM-swap attacks remain a growing threat, particularly for individuals holding cryptocurrency or accounts protected primarily through phone-based authentication.
