A former branch manager in New York has been sentenced to 13 months in prison and three years of supervised release for misusing his position to steal from a customer's accounts. James Gomes, 43, was also ordered to pay $208,938.68 in restitution and forfeiture.

Court documents reveal that between January and April 2020, Gomes used his role at an international financial institution to access a customer's accounts without permission. He linked his personal phone number to the accounts and enrolled them in online banking services. In March and April 2020, he transferred funds from the customer’s accounts to his own bank and investment accounts at other institutions. To conceal his actions, Gomes created a fake email address with the customer's name to fabricate conversations with his official bank email address. This deception continued even after the customer passed away on April 5, 2020.

The announcement was made by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey.

The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, with help from the Morristown Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea R. Rooney from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Pesce for the District of New Jersey.

MLARS’ Bank Integrity Unit focuses on prosecuting banks and financial institutions when their officers or employees compromise institutional integrity or threaten the financial system's stability. Since its inception in 2010, this unit has imposed over $25 billion in penalties for violations including money laundering and sanctions breaches.