Bakersfield Woman Indicted for Bank Fraud

FRESNO, Calif. — On May 5, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Amanda Joy Nash, 31, of Bakersfield, charging her with bank fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, between August 20, 2017, and March 6, 2018, Nash obtained checks that had been stolen from the mail and altered to change the payee name. Nash deposited the checks into her own and her associates’ bank accounts.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincente A. Tennerelli is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Nash faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.