A woman in North Carolina is facing federal charges for attempting to defraud the United States through a bank scheme, according to federal officials.
Jaminata Starks, 29, from Charlotte, was indicted last week for her involvement in a scheme with fraudulent bank accounts, as reported by U.S. Attorney Dena King of the Western District of North Carolina.
The indictment states that Starks worked at a Charlotte bank from April 13, 2022, to May 23, 2022. The name of the bank, which is also considered a victim in this case, has not been released.
Starks is accused of conspiring with others to misuse customers’ personal information to open new bank accounts in their names. She then allegedly transferred funds from the victims’ existing accounts into these fraudulent accounts without their knowledge or consent. The stolen funds were then withdrawn using various methods.
The indictment claims Starks transferred at least $120,000 from the bank and falsified records. She is said to have been paid $1,000 for each fraudulent account created. The indictment also includes a forfeiture notice for at least $30,000, representing the proceeds of Starks’ alleged crimes.
Starks faces charges of conspiring to defraud the United States, which could lead to a maximum of five years in prison. She is also charged with four counts of making false entries in bank records, each carrying up to 30 years in prison, and four counts of aggravated identity theft, each with a mandatory two-year prison term, consecutive to any other sentence.
Starks was released on bond following her initial court appearance. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Homeland Security and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.