Fresno Bank Employee Arrested for Stealing Over $70,000 from Customers’ Accounts
A shocking case of bank account theft has come to light in Fresno, California, where a bank employee has been arrested for stealing over $70,000 from multiple customers’ accounts. Lladira Hernandez, 23, of Fresno, was arrested today on charges of stealing from customers’ accounts at a Fresno-based bank where she was previously employed, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Hernandez was hired by the bank as a customer service representative in April 2022. She began stealing the bank account information for customers she helped over the phone and used it to pay bills for herself and her associates. This included mortgage payments, car payments, and phone bills. In August 2022, Hernandez transferred more than $45,000 from two customers’ accounts into her own account and abruptly quit her job at the bank.
She proceeded to withdraw that money from her account and was captured doing so on surveillance video. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The charges are only allegations. Hernandez is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fresno, California, is reeling from this shocking case of bank account theft. The incident has raised questions about the security of bank accounts and the vulnerability of customers to theft by employees.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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