Bank employee charged in alleged fraud scheme

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — A federal jury returned a criminal indictment against a Charlotte woman for her role in a scheme involving fraudulent bank accounts, according to the Department of Justice.

According to allegations in the indictment, Jaminata Starks, 29, of Charlotte was employed by a bank and worked for a branch in Charlotte. Starks had the ability, among other things, to open new bank accounts for existing customers and transfer funds between customers’ accounts.

The indictment alleges that, between April 13, 2022 and May 23, 2022, Starks conspired with others to use customers’ personal identifying information to open new bank accounts in the customers’ names and transfer funds from their existing accounts into the fraudulent ones without the customers’ knowledge of consent. Starks and other conspirators then allegedly used various methods to withdraw the funds.

Based on the charges during the scheme, Starks allegedly transferred at least $120,000 from the bank and made false entries in the books and records. It was further alleged that Starks was offered an additional $1,000 for each fraudulent new account she created.

In addition to the charges, the indictment contains a notice for “forfeiture money judgment” in the amount of at least $30,000, which the government claims is money earned during the alleged criminal conduct.

Starks was charged with conspriing to defraud the United States and to violate the laws of the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. She also faces four counts of making false entries in a bank record, which carries a max of up to 30 years in prison per count and four counts of aggravated identity theft, carrying a mandatory two-year prison sentence, consecutive to other prison term imposed per count.

Starks was released on bond.

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