Today, Mountee Brown, a 27-year-old former bank teller from Clinton, Maryland, pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. The charges stem from a scheme he participated in that involved pilfering funds from bank customers.
The announcement of Brown’s guilty plea was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside Jeffrey D. Pittano, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Brown was employed at Bank A in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. His position granted him access to the bank accounts of five individuals, four of whom were senior citizens over the age of 80. From October to November 2022, Brown, in collaboration with accomplices, orchestrated a plan to conduct at least 26 unauthorized cash withdrawals from these accounts.
The scheme began on October 21, 2022, when Brown allowed Co-conspirator #1 to make a $10,000 withdrawal from Victim #1’s account without their knowledge. Brown falsely documented the transaction, asserting that the customer was verified and known to his supervisor, while Co-conspirator #1 impersonated Victim #1.
By October 22, 2022, Brown and Co-conspirator #1 executed two more unauthorized withdrawals totaling $20,000 from the same victim's account. Brown deposited about $4,300 of these funds into another bank account.
On October 25, 2022, Co-conspirator #2, with Brown’s assistance, withdrew $10,000 each from the accounts of Victim #2 and Victim #3. Brown again falsified customer verification records and allowed Co-conspirator #2 to sign as the victims.
Between October 22, 2022, and December 6, 2022, Brown deposited roughly $30,200 in cash into his own account with another financial institution. The fraud resulted in Brown and his co-conspirators unlawfully obtaining around $255,000.
U.S. Attorney Hayes applauded the efforts of the FDIC-OIG in investigating the case. She also expressed gratitude to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Darren Gardner for pursuing the case. More information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/md.