United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

FORMER WEBSTER BANK EMPLOYEE, HUSBAND, ARRESTED
Couple charged with defrauding bank of approximately $6.2 million

Nora R. Dannehy, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SUSAN A. CURTIS, 48, and GARY J. STOCKING, 43, of Naugatuck were arrested today by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on criminal complaints charging them with bank fraud and money laundering.  The charges stem from an alleged scheme to defraud Webster Bank of approximately $6.2 million.

CURTIS and STOCKING were arrested this morning in Naugatuck and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford.  Judge Martinez ordered both CURTIS and STOCKING detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for Friday, January 15, at 12:30 p.m.

According to statements made in court, the Government alleges that CURTIS, a former employee of Webster Bank, together with STOCKING and others devised a scheme to defraud Webster Bank of approximately $6.2 million between 2002 and May 2009.  The Government alleges that CURTIS and STOCKING set up sham companies called “New House LLC” and “Equity LLC” and represented to Webster Bank that the companies and STOCKING were brokers.  In fact, records reflect that neither STOCKING nor the two companies were ever registered as brokers in the State of Connecticut.  As a result of the false representations, Webster Bank released approximately $5 million to the sham companies.  In addition, it is alleged that CURTIS diverted monies, totaling approximately $1 million, to Equity LLC that were, in fact, due to Webster Bank for property improvements.

U.S. Attorney Dannehy noted that the investigation into this alleged scheme is ongoing.

If convicted, CURTIS and STOCKING face a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on the bank fraud charge and 10 years on the money laundering charge.

U.S. Attorney Dannehy stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are entitled to have this matter presented to a grand jury and, in the event an indictment is returned, they are entitled to a trial at which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov