Former Atlanta banker arrested in $931K cryptocurrency fraud scheme
ATLANTA - A former Atlanta-area banker faces federal charges after allegedly siphoning nearly $1 million from customer accounts into cryptocurrency wallets.
Atlanta bank fraud charges
What we know:
Federal authorities arrested 35-year-old Mercedes Henry of Stone Mountain on Friday following a federal grand jury indictment returned last Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Henry worked as a universal banker at multiple Ameris Bank locations in the Atlanta area in 2021.
On at least six occasions between September 2021 and November 2021, Henry allegedly stole account numbers and identifiers from six customers.
Investigators say she used that sensitive information to link the victim accounts to Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange platform used to buy digital currencies like Bitcoin.
The scheme resulted in the fraudulent transfer of $931,500 from Ameris Bank to Coinbase accounts controlled by co-conspirators.
Prosecutors allege Henry received over $1,000 for her role in the operation.
She currently faces federal charges of bank fraud, access device fraud and bribery.
Federal cryptocurrency investigation
What we don't know:
Federal officials have not yet released the identities of the co-conspirators who controlled the Coinbase accounts.
Authorities have also not confirmed whether any of the stolen funds have been recovered or returned to Ameris Bank.
Cryptographic fraud scheme
What they're saying:
"Henry allegedly stole sensitive information to facilitate nearly $1 million of fraudulent transfers from victims’ bank accounts to cryptocurrency accounts controlled by her co-conspirators," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "We will work with our partners in law enforcement and the private sector to identify, arrest, and punish greedy criminals who lie, cheat, and steal to enrich themselves."
"Ms. Henry and her conspirators allegedly stole consumers’ hard-earned money directly from their bank accounts," said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "Crimes of greed and opportunity will not go unpunished as the FBI and our law enforcement partners use all the tools at our disposal to uncover these illegal acts."
The U.S. Attorney's Office reminded the public that an indictment contains only charges, and Henry is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg of the Northern District of Georgia, who explained the court filings and charges, as well as Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham of FBI Atlanta. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathelynn Tio is prosecuting the case.