Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Bank and Wire Fraud Charges

NEWPORT NEWS, VA—Bernard Stromberg, Jr., 40, of Morrisville, Pa., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud charges.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

Stromberg was indicted on October 13, 2011, by a federal grand jury on conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud charges, engaging monetary transaction in proceeds derived from unlawful activity, and false statement on a loan application. Stromberg faces a maximum penalty of thirty years when he is sentenced on May 1, 2012.

According to court documents, Stromberg was the chief financial officer of Atomica, a Pennsylvania design company that had a working relationship with Chesapeake Bank of Gloucester. In 2009, at Stromberg’s direction, over 250 false invoices were submitted to the bank to cover various Atomica shortfalls. These invoices related to fictitious entities, entities that had no business relationship with Atomica, and entities for which Atomica had not completed work. Stromberg also submitted false financial information to the bank in an effort to increase Atomica’s line of credit. Atomica dissolved in December, 2009, resulting in losses to Chesapeake bank of over $700,000.00.

This case was investigated by FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Samuels is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.