A convicted bank robber, who also stole the identity of one of the world's richest men to pocket his $1.4 million tax refund, now awaits sentencing for a different type of fraud scheme, one that targeted Southern California surfers.
Moundir Kamil, 56, was the mastermind behind a nearly $1 million scheme targeting surfers while they caught waves, according to federal prosecutors.
Orange County resident Kamil, along with accomplices Jordan Adams and Jennifer Pruneda, pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, attempted bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Kamil's sentencing is expected to be handed down Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles.
According to court documents and media reportsKamil and his accomplices burglarized vehicles to steal credit cards, debit cards, phones and other forms of identification and then make fraudulent purchases, including luxury items and expensive electronics, totaling at least $850,000.
The theft took place at several Southern California beaches, including Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Manhattan Beach, as well as beaches in San Diego County and other popular surf spots, from April 2021 to December 2022.
In a case reported by a Newport Beach SurferHe discovered that someone had taken his keys to his beachside apartment and used them to steal his wallet and phone from his car while he was surfing. The thief was later identified and was allegedly part of an organized crime network led by Kamil.
The plan also included lookouts who would watch where surfers kept their keys before hitting the waves; An accomplice would then take the key and enter the car, taking phones and wallets. Kamil was able to hack the phones' facial recognition software to access the victims' apps, prosecutors said. The thieves then emptied bank and other accounts.
When credit card companies called to verify fraudulent activity, the thieves answered the phone and approved the charges, documents show.
Kamil is no stranger to monetary schemes.
In 2011, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud for stealing a tax refund check for nearly $1.4 million from billionaire Donald Bren, a real estate magnate and chairman of Irvine Co.
A federal judge ordered Kamil to pay $1.1 million in restitution. He was also sentenced to 99 days in jail and three years of probation, which included seeking mental health treatment for his gambling addiction.
In 2003, it was convicted of robbing six banks throughout Orange County, for which he was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and nicknamed the “Gimme More Bandit” due to his demands for extra money from tellers.
City News Service contributed to this report.
