Cape Coral police arrest man accused of targeting bank customers across multiple states

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)— Cape Coral police arrested a man accused of running a sophisticated identity theft scheme that targeted bank customers across multiple states.

Santino Parreno Guerra, 31, was taken into custody following a detailed investigation by the Cape Coral Police Department's Economic Crimes Unit, according to a press release.

The investigation began in early July 2026 after corporate security specialists at a financial institution alerted law enforcement to coordinated account compromises.

Fraudsters impersonating bank representatives contacted victims to phish one-time passcodes and account verification details, the press release said. With the stolen credentials, perpetrators contacted the bank's call center to alter customer mailing addresses to Cape Coral locations and request expedited replacement debit cards.

Detectives with the CCPD Economic Crimes Unit say they used investigative techniques and resources to connect Guerra with fraudulent cash withdrawals and high-value money order purchases.

On the morning of July 23, 2026, CCPD Economic Crimes Detectives, with assistance from the Cape Coral Police SWAT Team, executed a search warrant at a local residence on Northeast 24th Avenue where evidence related to the investigation was located.

Guerra was taken into custody and subsequently transported to the Lee County Jail. He was booked under charges including fraudulent/illegal use of personal identification information of a victim 60 years of age or older, grand theft and resisting an officer without violence.