North Carolina Man Sentenced For Bank Fraud

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Kelly Atkinson, 32, of Raleigh, N.C., who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, was sentenced to 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge, Richard J. Arcara. The defendant has also been ordered to pay $443,995 in restitution.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O'Donnell, who handled the case, stated that the defendant conspired with Brian Avery Smith, a Buffalo man, who was also convicted of bank fraud, to defraud credit unions and other lenders of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The scheme was accomplished through the submission of fraudulent loan applications, which claimed to be for the purchase of automobiles, computers, and furniture, along with fraudulent supporting documentation for the loans.

To accomplish the scheme, Atkinson and Smith also opened bank accounts in Buffalo in the names of fictitious companies. Much of the loan proceeds were distributed into these accounts and retrieved by Atkinson and Smith.

The sentencing was the culmination of an investigation by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen.