Former Bank Employee Sentenced For Embezzling Funds From Federal Tax Checks

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Elvy Gomez, 40, of Providence, R.I., was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of community confinement for embezzling more than $95,000 from stolen federal tax checks, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation; and Brian S. Deck, Acting Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the U.S. Secret Service.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi, who recommended that Gomez be assigned to serve his sentence at the Coolidge House in Boston, also ordered Gomez to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his confinement, forfeit $34,376.37 and pay restitution in the amount of $95,559.

Gomez, a former employee of Bank of America, pleaded guilty on June 12, 2013, to one count each of theft of government property, forging an endorsement on treasury checks and money laundering.

At the time of his guilty plea, Gomez admitted to the court that he used his position at the bank to access a dormant checking account which he used to deposit stolen treasury checks and then withdraw the funds. Gomez admitted to obtaining an ATM card in the name of the person whose name appeared on the account, and that between April 2012 and August 2012, he deposited fourteen stolen treasury checks totaling $95,559 into the bank account and then withdrew the funds for his own personal use.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.

The matter was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service.

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