Former New York bank manager James GomesSentenced to 13 months in prison for stealing more than $200,000 from a customer’s account. He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Gomes, 43, used his position at an international bank to steal $208,938.68 from customer accounts between January and April 2020, according to a report by USA Today. He linked his phone number to the account, registered for online services, and transferred funds to his personal accounts.
Prosecutors said Gomes continued his scheme after the client’s death on April 5, 2020. He created a fake email address to make it look like the customer was still communicating with him.
“To cover up his scheme, Gomes created a fraudulent email address with the customer’s name, which he used to engage in fictitious conversations with his own official bank email address to pretend the customer was communicating with him,” authorities said. Quoted by USA Today.
In addition to his prison sentence, Gomes will serve three years of supervised release and must repay the stolen money.