Baltimore, Maryland – In a shocking case of corporate corruption, former Vice President of a Maryland bank, Melissa Strohman, has admitted to a six-year scheme to steal over $1.8 million from bank customers.
According to her plea agreement, Strohman used her position of trust at the bank to cause more than 200 unauthorized transfers and withdrawals of funds from six customers’ bank accounts to pay for mortgages, credit card bills and property tax bills associated with Strohman and her family members.
The scheme, which lasted from April 2010 through July 2016, saw Strohman, 54, of Nottingham, Maryland, use her supervisory override function on the bank’s electronic banking system to facilitate unauthorized transfers between the victim customers’ accounts to accounts associated with Strohman. She also forged the signature of one victim customer in order to complete an unauthorized transaction from that person’s bank account to an American Express account associated with Strohman.
Strohman’s actions were a brazen abuse of her position, and it is clear that she exploited the trust placed in her by bank customers. Her crimes have left countless individuals feeling vulnerable and betrayed.
As a result of her guilty plea, Strohman faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud, and a maximum of 30 years in prison for bank embezzlement. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for Strohman on May 12, 2017, at 10:00 a.m.
Strohman’s sentence will serve as a reminder that corporate corruption will not be tolerated, and those who engage in such activities will face severe consequences. In addition to her prison sentence, Strohman will also be required to pay restitution of over $1.8 million to the victims of her scheme.
The investigation into Strohman’s crimes was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General. United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the agencies for their work in bringing Strohman to justice.
Defendant: Melissa Strohman
Criminal Charges: Wire Fraud and Bank Embezzlement
City and State: Baltimore, Maryland
Date: April 2010 – July 2016 (crime date)
Sentence: Up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, up to 30 years in prison for bank embezzlement, and $1.8 million restitution
Related Federal Cases
- Jeffrey L. Shipley, Mail Embezzlement, Maryland 2005 · Alabama
- Tony Derrell Bunch, Bank Robbery, Maryland 2014 · Maryland
- Ramon Ingram, Bank Fraud, Maryland 2015 · Maryland
- Jimoh Babatunde Aderomilehin, Bank Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity Theft, Maryland 2018 · Maryland
- Wanisha D. Coates, Bank Fraud Conspiracy, Maryland 2012 · New Hampshire
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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