Lenox Bank Teller Gets 10 Months for $378K Heist

SPRINGFIELD, MA – A former teller at the now-defunct Lenox National Bank is headed to federal prison after admitting to a long-running scheme to pilfer over $378,000 from unsuspecting depositors. Melissa K. Scolforo, 48, of Lee, Mass., received a 10-month sentence in U.S. District Court today, a slap on the wrist for betraying the trust placed in her for nearly a quarter-century.

Scolforo, who worked at Lenox National Bank for 24 years, wasn’t acting alone. She conspired with fellow teller Bernadine Powers to systematically drain cash from the teller drawers, then meticulously falsified bank records to mask the thefts. The scheme began in January 2009, with Powers joining the operation roughly a year later. For nearly five years, the pair lived large on stolen funds.

The $378,000 wasn’t funneled into some offshore account or complex investment scheme. It was squandered on everyday luxuries: shopping sprees, restaurant meals, and keeping up with household bills. A routine bank audit in November 2013 finally exposed the fraud, bringing an end to the brazen theft. Judge Mark G. Mastroianni ordered Scolforo to pay $378,000 in restitution, a sum that may take years to repay.

This isn’t the first sentence handed down in this case. In December 2016, Bernadine Powers received 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $299,793 in restitution. While Powers took a longer trip to prison, the combined impact of their actions highlights a stunning failure of internal controls at Lenox National Bank. The bank itself has since been absorbed by Adams Community Bank, leaving former depositors to wonder if their accounts were ever truly secure.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, announced the sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Goodwin, operating out of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office, successfully prosecuted the case, demonstrating that even seemingly low-level embezzlement schemes will face federal scrutiny.

The case serves as a stark reminder that financial institutions, no matter their size, must prioritize robust security measures and diligent oversight to prevent internal theft. For Scolforo and Powers, a taste of the good life funded by stolen money has landed them with criminal records and a mountain of debt, a harsh lesson in the consequences of greed.