A former bank branch manager, James Gomes, 43, has been sentenced to prison for using his position to steal more than $200,000 directly from a customer’s account. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday that Gomes, a resident of New York, received a 13-month prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and a restitution and forfeiture order for $208,938.68.

Details of the embezzlement scheme

Gomes, who served as a manager at an international bank, exploited his access to improperly link his personal phone number to a customer’s account. Using the bank’s online banking services, he then transferred $208,938.68 from the customer’s accounts into his personal and investment accounts in March and April of 2020. To conceal his actions, Gomes created a fake email address in the customer’s name, using it to stage fictitious communications with his official bank email to make it appear that the customer was in touch with him.

The DOJ revealed that Gomes continued the scheme even after the customer passed away on April 5, 2020. His sentencing on Tuesday included 13 months in prison, supervised release, and restitution for the misappropriated funds.

DOJ crackdown on financial misconduct

The DOJ’s Bank Integrity Unit, a division within the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), led the investigation. “MLARS’ Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system,” the DOJ said in a statement. Since its establishment in 2010, the unit has prosecuted financial institutions and imposed penalties exceeding $25 billion.