Bank employee opened fake accounts used to deposit stolen checks, Georgia cops say
A former Fifth Third Bank employee accused of opening fake accounts that were used to deposit stolen checks in a months-long fraud scheme has been charged, according to Georgia authorities.
Fedrick Jeffries, 33, was fired from his job at a branch in unincorporated Norcross after he was suspected of stealing money and opening fake bank accounts, the Gwinnett County Police Department said in a Jan. 28 news release.
Jeffries was taken to jail Jan. 26 and charged with:
Seven counts of identity theft
Five counts of computer forgery
One count of theft by taking
“While we do not provide comments on matters concerning current or former employees, Mr. Jeffries is not a current employee of Fifth Third Bank,” a company spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement.
Police began investigating Jeffries in October after another employee said they suspected he was stealing money and possibly opening fake checking accounts, the department said.
Investigators learned that between May 8 and Oct. 22, Jeffries opened five accounts and took out a loan for $24,500. The accounts were then used to “deposit stolen and forged checks into them by unknown individuals,” police said.
“Detectives determined that unknown suspects would enter the bank at the time that Jeffries was working and provide him with stolen identity information to create these fraudulent accounts,” police said. “The suspects were then given online access to the accounts.”
During the investigation, police said the company discovered another employee accused of opening fake accounts at a Fifth Third Bank branch in the West Palm Beach, Florida area.
Police didn’t say if that person was working with Jeffries or if they have been charged.
“Between Jeffries and the second suspect, the total exposed loss was $2,636,019.06,” police said.
Norcross is about a 30-mile drive northeast from downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Bank employee opened fake accounts used to deposit stolen checks, Georgia cops say."