Former Bank Employee Charged in Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme

ATLANTA — A former employee of Ameris Bank faces serious federal charges after allegedly orchestrating a scheme that diverted nearly $1 million from customer accounts into cryptocurrency accounts managed by her accomplices.

Details of the Indictment

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has indicted 35-year-old Mercedes Henry from Stone Mountain on multiple counts, including bank fraud, access device fraud, and bribery. Henry was taken into custody and made her first court appearance on September 25.

Allegations of Misconduct

Henry, who worked as a universal banker for Ameris Bank in various locations around metro Atlanta during 2021, is accused of exploiting customer account information to link six Ameris Bank accounts to her co-conspirators’ accounts on the cryptocurrency platform Coinbase. Between September and November 2021, this manipulation led to fraudulent transfers totaling $931,500.

Financial Gains for the Accused

Federal authorities reported that Henry received more than $1,000 as part of her involvement in the fraud. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg commented on the situation, stating, “Henry allegedly stole sensitive information to facilitate nearly $1 million of fraudulent transfers from victims’ bank accounts to cryptocurrency accounts controlled by her co-conspirators.”

Ongoing Investigation and Law Enforcement Response

The case is currently under active investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Special agent in charge of the Atlanta division, Marlo Graham, remarked on the serious nature of the allegations, asserting that “Ms. Henry and her conspirators allegedly stole consumers’ hard-earned money directly from their bank accounts.” He emphasized that “Crimes of greed and opportunity will not go unpunished as the FBI and our law enforcement partners use all the tools at our disposal to uncover these illegal acts.”

Next Steps and Legal Proceedings

As the judicial process continues, the authorities are preparing for further developments in the case against Henry. The FBI has been diligent in addressing crimes related to financial fraud, particularly those exploiting advancements in technology, such as cryptocurrency.