Joshua S. Levy, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
A former bank teller from Saugus, previously residing in Revere, has been charged and agreed to plead guilty to embezzling funds while employed at a Boston branch of a national bank. Derek Aut, 28, faces charges of embezzlement by a bank employee and aggravated identity theft. These charges follow an earlier criminal complaint filed on December 18, 2024.
According to the charging documents, Aut is accused of stealing from two customers' accounts by forging their names on withdrawal slips. When one victim noticed missing funds, Aut allegedly covered up the theft by transferring money from another victim's account into the first victim's account. The total amount taken is alleged to exceed $180,000.
The charge for embezzlement by a bank employee carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Aggravated identity theft entails a mandatory two-year prison sentence served consecutively with any other imposed sentence. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney from the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is handling the prosecution.
All details within the charging documents remain allegations at this stage; Derek Aut is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
