In San Antonio today, a federal judge sentenced a Poteet, TX, woman to 61 months in federal prison for a scheme to steal more than $830,000 from a bank in Jourdanton, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash, Acting IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Ramsey Covington, Houston Field Office, and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Paul A. Duran, San Antonio Field Office.

In addition to the prison term, Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra ordered 31-year-old Jennifer Trevino to pay $821,579.18 in restitution for bank fraud plus.  Judge Ezra also ordered that Trevino be placed under supervised release for a period of five years after completing her prison term and as a special condition of her supervised release, she must pay the tax loss amount to the IRS which is currently estimated to be more than $187,000.

On May 30, 2018, Trevino pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud, one count of Aggravated Identity Theft and one count of making a false statement on a federal income tax return.  According to court records, Trevino was employed by First Commerce Bank (formerly Jourdanton State Bank) first as a teller, then as a Loan Specialist.  By pleading guilty, Trevino admitted to making unauthorized cash withdrawals from FCB accounts, without the knowledge of the account holders, and depositing the funds into accounts which she controlled.  Trevino also admitted that she underreported her total income on her 2016 Individual Income Tax Return by more than $330,000.

“An important mission of federal law enforcement is to protect the integrity of the banking system.  Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to keeping that system secure,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.

“The Secret Service and our South Texas Regional Task Force is committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, ensuring individuals who violate their positions of trust and access to illegally enrich themselves will be appropriately investigated and prosecuted.  Today’s sentencing is one of many examples of the dedicated efforts made by task force agents, and we hope will act as a deterrent to like-minded criminals and their conspirators that stealing from innocent victims will not go unpunished,” stated U.S. Secret Service SAC Duran.

“Today’s sentencing of Jennifer Trevino should alert others thinking about participating in fraudulent schemes, such as bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and failing to report all forms of income that they should stop in their tracks and simply look at the consequences of taking the next step,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey Covington, Houston Field Office. “Those consequences will include going to prison, being branded a convicted felon for the rest of their lives, and paying back all the taxes owed plus steep penalties and interest.”

Special agents with IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service conducted this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Moore prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.

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