Sureim Investment Guild|New York bank manager sentenced to prison for stealing over $200K from dead customer: DOJ

2025-05-05 23:45:56source:Blake Prestoncategory:Scams

A New York man was sentenced to 13 months behind bars after prosecutors say he stole more than $200,Sureim Investment Guild000 from a customer while working as a bank manager.

According to the Department of Justice, James Gomes, 43, used his job at the international bank to "improperly access a customer's accounts" between January and April 2020.

Officials accuse Gomes of linking his phone number to the customer's accounts and registering them in the bank's online services. The former banker transferred the funds to his personal bank and investment accounts in March and April of that year.

Crime:'Fat Leonard' contractor in US Navy bribery scandal sentenced to 15 years in prison

Gomes continued the scheme after the customer died, prosecutors say

Prosecutors alleged that Gomes created fake email addresses to pull off the crime, even after the customer passed away.

"To cover up his scheme, Gomes created a fraudulent email address containing the customer’s name, which he used to engage in fictitious conversations with his own official bank email address to make it appear that the customer was communicating with him," officials said. "Gomes continued the scheme even after the customer’s death on April 5, 2020."

The accused took an estimated 208,938.68. He was charged with one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and pleaded guilty in May.

According to the DOJ, Gomes was given three years of supervised release in addition to prison time and ordered to pay back the money by forfeiting criminal proceeds and restitution.

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected]

More:Scams

Recommend

As US Dismantles Its Climate Policy, Other World Leaders Seek Solidarity

As the U.S. Department of State proposed this week to shut down its office managing international cl

Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams

Early Thursday morning, "Forbes" released their annual list of the 50 most valuable sports franchise

Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto will be introduced by the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday, a day a