Patricia Margaret Drake, Bank Fraud, Florida 2013

Former Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud in Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – In a shocking turn of events, Patricia Margaret Drake (24, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud. The former Wells Fargo Bank employee faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on December 5, 2013, a Wells Fargo Bank customer in Jacksonville contacted the bank in order to discuss his concerns regarding unauthorized withdrawals from his bank account. After an internal review of the matter, Wells Fargo Bank identified a series of fraudulent withdrawals from the victim’s bank account.

The investigation revealed that the victim was not present in the bank branch on the days when the withdrawals took place, including days when withdrawals were made by counter withdrawal slips. U.S. Secret Service agents later interviewed Drake about the fraudulent bank withdrawals. Drake stated that while using the victim’s bank account number, she made multiple unauthorized withdrawals from the victim’s bank account.

Drake also stated that she was not sure how many transactions were completed or the total amount of money stolen from the victim’s account. She did not think the victim would notice the withdrawals quickly because he had a larger account balance.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Patricia Margaret Drake, a 24-year-old resident of Jacksonville, was indicted on May 7, 2014 for her involvement in the bank fraud scheme. The former Wells Fargo Bank employee is now facing the consequences of her actions and could serve up to 90 years in federal prison if convicted on all counts.

The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of bank security and the need for employees to uphold the highest standards of integrity. Wells Fargo Bank has taken steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/former-bank-employee-pleads-guilty-bank-fraud