Former Bank Teller Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Identity Fraud

February 16, 2010 - BOSTON, MA—A former Bank of America teller was convicted today in federal court on charges of Bank Fraud and Identity Fraud.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Warren Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division, announced today that JEFFREY C. GAUTREAUX, age 26, of Peabody, Massachusetts, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 17 counts of Bank Fraud and 1 count of Identity Fraud.

At today’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that from November 2004 to February 2006, while GAUTREAUX was employed as a teller for the Bank of America, he used his access to bank customer data to steal customer names and account information. The customer information was used to make unauthorized withdrawals from bank customer accounts. More than $330,000 was fraudulently withdrawn from numerous accounts before a bank customer complained and the bank conducted an internal investigation.

Judge Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 1, 2010. On each of the bank fraud counts GAUTREAUX faces up to 30 years imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and a $ 1 million fine. The identity fraud count carries up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance from Bank of America. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.