Former Bank of America Employee Sentenced to More Than Two Years for Embezzlement

OAKLAND, CA—A former Bank of America Employee was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $579,652.21 in restitution for bank fraud, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

Abigail Tambac Tonsager pleaded guilty to bank fraud on June 22, 2011. According to the plea agreement, Tonsager admitted that between 2002 and 2010 she fraudulently transferred more than half a million dollars from various bank accounts owned by Bank of America to an account in her maiden name. In order to carry out the fraudulent scheme and to conceal the transfers from the bank, she regularly created false documents showing the return of money to a bank customer but listing her own bank account number on the document.

Tonsager, 36, of Vallejo, Calif., waived indictment on May 6, 2011, and was charged by information with bank fraud.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken following the guilty plea on one count in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344(2). Judge Wilken also sentenced the defendant to a five-year period of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $579,652.21. The defendant is scheduled to begin serving the sentence on Nov. 9, 2011.

Keslie Stewart is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case with the assistance of Janice Pagsanjan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Further Information:

Case #: CR 11-00301 CW

A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.