A former employee at a US commercial bank has just pleaded guilty to withdrawing $105,000 from the account of a deceased customer.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey says Jorge Nova has pleaded guilty to fraud and faces up to 30 years in prison.
Nova was working at an unnamed commercial bank in Nutley, New Jersey, when he came across a deceased customer’s account where he continued to collect Social Security benefits via direct deposit.
The retiree, who received $2,372 per month in benefits, died on August 29, 2014 – but the Social Security Administration (SSA) was not notified of the person’s death.
As a result, the beneficiary’s account continued to receive funds from the SSA for more than four years.
After noticing the pending deposits, Nova used his position at the bank to access the account, obtain a debit card in the beneficiary’s name, and siphon funds from the deceased victim. Nova set up new accounts in the beneficiary’s name with a money service provider to implement the plan and help obtain the money.
The scheme lasted until October 2018, when Nova illegally obtained a total of $105,000 from the deceased beneficiary’s bank accounts.
Nova now faces a maximum penalty of 30 years behind bars with a maximum fine of $250,000. He will be sentenced on October 8.
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