Former bank employee accused of diverting USD 931,000 to cryptocurrency accounts

A woman from Stone Mountain, in the Atlanta metropolitan area, has been charged by federal authorities for allegedly participating in a scheme that diverted nearly USD 931,000 from Ameris Bank customer accounts to cryptocurrency accounts controlled by those involved. The accused is Mercedes Henry, 35, who worked for the financial institution as a universal banker, a position that includes customer service and banking operations. The investigation claims that the woman used data from six clients without authorization to link their accounts to the platform Coinbase. The case was reported by CBS News Atlanta based on a communication from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Federal authorities have filed charges for bank fraud, access device fraud, and bribery.

The maneuver allegedly used information from six clients

The indictment places the events between September and November 2021, when Henry was working at various branches of Ameris Bank in the Atlanta area. During that period, she allegedly accessed account numbers and other identifying data from six individuals who were clients of the institution. With that information, investigators claim that the bank accounts were linked without consent to Coinbase profiles, a cryptocurrency exchange platform. The mechanism allegedly allowed money to be transferred from clients to digital wallets controlled by Henry and other individuals linked to the alleged fraud. The prosecution stated that the total amount displaced in these operations was around USD 931,000. To carry out the transfers, those responsible allegedly used the credentials and private information obtained while Henry had access to the systems and records of the institution. Although the documents released do not detail the number of people who may have participated in the scheme, authorities maintain that the former bank employee did not act alone. The file links her to "co-conspirators" who allegedly controlled the cryptocurrency accounts to which the money was sent.

Henry allegedly received over USD 1,000 for her participation

The investigation indicates that Mercedes Henry allegedly received over USD 1,000 as part of her involvement in the scheme. However, authorities did not specify what the total benefit she obtained was or what portion of the funds remained in the possession of each of the alleged participants. Theodore S. Hertzberg, federal prosecutor for the Northern District of Georgia, stated that the accused "allegedly stole sensitive information to facilitate nearly USD 1 million in fraudulent transfers from the victims' bank accounts to cryptocurrency accounts controlled by her accomplices." The official also affirmed that his office will work with law enforcement and the private sector to identify, apprehend, and punish those who commit financial crimes. "We will work with our law enforcement and private sector partners to identify, arrest, and punish greedy criminals who lie, cheat, and steal to enrich themselves," Hertzberg expressed in statements collected by CBS News Atlanta. The complaint does not publicly identify the six affected clients nor does it inform whether the bank managed to recover all or part of the money. It also did not detail the measures that the financial institution may have taken after detecting the questioned transfers.

A federal grand jury formalized three charges

A federal grand jury filed the indictment against Henry last week, the prosecution indicated. The charges include bank fraud, access device fraud, and bribery, offenses that will be analyzed by federal authorities during the judicial process. The woman appeared before a federal court after her arrest, which occurred on September 25. So far, authorities have not disclosed information about a guilty plea, any potential defense strategy, or the conditions of her release. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is keeping the investigation open. The investigation seeks to determine the total scope of the operations, identify other possible responsible parties, and establish the final destination of the funds allegedly withdrawn from the clients' accounts. As this is a formal indictment, Henry retains the presumption of innocence until a court determines her criminal responsibility.

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