Cameron Park Man Charged with Bank Embezzlement

SACRAMENTO, CA—Ethan George Banaszak, 34, of Cameron Park, was arraigned today on charges of bank embezzlement, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Banaszak pleaded not guilty to the charges; he was released on a $75,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr. for a status conference on May 17, 2013.

On Thursday, April 25, 2013, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment charging Banaszak with embezzling thousands of dollars from his employer, a federally insured bank. According to court records, Banaszak made more than $660,000 in unauthorized withdrawals from bank customers’ accounts and took $16,000 cash from the bank’s vault.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lee S. Bickley is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Banaszak 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.