Former Bank Employee Sentenced For Embezzlement

BOSTON – A former bank employee was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester in connection with embezzling money from client accounts held by the bank by which she was employed.

Jessica Vargas, 35, of Athol, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 30 days in prison and two years of supervised release. In February 2019, Vargas pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and two counts of bank embezzlement. Vargas was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in March 2018.

Vargas was an employee of a federally-insured bank when she embezzled approximately $108,000 by making unauthorized cash withdrawals from customer accounts. Bank documentation showed that Vargas made unauthorized withdrawals from the accounts of various customers, including more than $53,000 from the account of an 84-year-old bank customer and almost $13,000 from the account of an 88-year-old customer.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Abely and Kristen Noto of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.