Citizens Bank in Pittsburgh was the target of a brazen bank fraud scheme, with a local resident using stolen account information to make multiple cash withdrawals.
Pittsburgh resident Eric Tyrone Bates, Jr., 29, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced.
Bates, along with another person, conspired to steal bank account information belonging to an account holder at Citizens Bank in Pittsburgh, which they used to create new accounts and make withdrawals at other banks they controlled. The scheme began in 2013.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation, which was a collaborative, multi-agency effort to combat financial crimes, including identity fraud, in Western Pennsylvania.
The task force includes the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Judge Mark Hornak scheduled sentencing for January 7, 2016, at 11 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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