Rocky River Woman Charged with Falsifying Bank Records

A federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a one-count indictment charging Melanie D. Avis, age 34, of Rocky River, Ohio, with making false entries on the books and records of Huntington National Bank, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment alleges that from in or about June 2010, until on or about November 9, 2010, Melanie D. Avis, while a bank teller supervisor at the Huntington National Bank, Public Square Branch, located in Cleveland, intentionally inflated the amount of money in the vault in order to conceal what Avis knew was a shortage of approximately $39,800.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Duane J. Deskins, following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.