By Aaron Hammond 
A federal grand jury in Portland, Oregon, has indicted three men over an alleged bank fraud and money laundering scheme involving stolen checks and a company called Pacific Swift Logistics.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, the defendants are Cody James VanWinkle, 30, of Gresham, Kei Jian Buckley, 32, of Beaverton, and Bruce Edward Jones Jr., 30, of Eugene. They face charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
How the alleged bank fraud worked
Federal prosecutors allege that the three men obtained stolen checks and changed important details, including the name of the person or business meant to receive the money and the amount written on the checks. The altered checks were then allegedly deposited into accounts controlled by the defendants or people they recruited.
Prosecutors say VanWinkle and Buckley created Pacific Swift Logistics LLC, which they describe as a sham business used to support the alleged fraud. The indictment further alleges that the defendants recruited other people to deposit or transfer fraudulent checks and then quickly withdraw or move the money before financial institutions could identify the deposits as fraudulent.
The alleged arrangement also involved money being shared with recruited participants. According to federal prosecutors, people who received funds through the transactions provided part of the money to VanWinkle, Buckley and Jones. The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigations, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Sax is prosecuting it.
Defendants plead not guilty as trial approaches
All three defendants have pleaded not guilty. VanWinkle and Buckley were arraigned on September 29, 2026, while Jones had his initial appearance and arraignment on September 24. Their federal trial is currently scheduled for November 24, 2026.
The charges remain allegations at this stage. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stressed that an indictment is an accusation, not a finding of guilt, and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The case will therefore depend on the evidence presented during the legal process and the court’s eventual decision.