Kazi Pervez, Bank Fraud, Massachusetts 2021

CONCORD, NH – A former bank branch manager is facing serious time after admitting to a cold-hearted scheme to siphon over $560,000 from the accounts of dead customers. Kazi Pervez, 41, of Methuen, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank fraud this week, according to Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.

Pervez, who oversaw operations at a Salem, New Hampshire bank branch, exploited his position over a period of at least 16 months, starting in April 2016. Court documents paint a picture of a calculated operator who specifically targeted the accounts of deceased bank customers, opening new accounts in their names or manipulating existing inactive ones. He then brazenly authorized withdrawals exceeding account balances, effectively stealing from the estates of those no longer able to defend themselves.

The fraud wasn’t a one-time grab. Pervez meticulously moved the stolen funds, often transferring them between multiple accounts he controlled within the bank before funneling the money to accounts at other institutions, or simply using it to pay his personal bills. The total haul: $564,590.02. Of that, a staggering $450,000+ ended up directly in his own pockets. This wasn’t a mistake; it was a sustained, deliberate act of theft.

“White collar criminals can sometimes steal large sums of money from multiple victims with a few keystrokes on a computer,” Acting U.S. Attorney Farley stated. “We will continue to work closely with the Secret Service and all of our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute criminals who commit bank fraud and fraud offenses.” The U.S. Attorney’s office is making it clear: these crimes will be pursued aggressively in federal court.

The U.S. Secret Service, tasked with investigating complex financial crimes, spearheaded the investigation. Timothy Benitez, Resident Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s New Hampshire Office, emphasized the agency’s commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals, including the deceased, from such predatory schemes. “The US Secret Service is committed to investigating complex fraud schemes that involve the exploitation of vulnerable and deceased victims,” Benitez said.

Pervez is scheduled to be sentenced on August 5, 2021. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. Hunter and Arnold Huftalen are prosecuting the case. The Grimy Times will be in the courtroom when the judge hands down the penalty for this callous betrayal of trust and exploitation of the deceased. This case serves as a stark reminder that even seemingly ‘clean’ crimes carry severe consequences.

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