Former Bank Employee Charged with Stealing More Than $190K

MCALLEN, TX—Armando Ruben Aleman, 28, of Weslaco, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing more than $190,000 from former employer, BBVA Compass Bank in Mission, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. The indictment was retuned late yesterday.

A criminal complaint was filed January 10 in federal court in McAllen. It alleged that during more than half of last year, while Aleman was employed at BBVA Compass Bank, he emptied a deceased client’s account before the executor of the client’s will could retrieve the funds. The funds allegedly totaled more than $190,000.

The charges allege Aleman forged checks in the deceased client’s name. Then, Aleman allegedly transferred the funds into an account he opened at Chase Bank using a stolen identity from another person. Aleman managed to spend and transfer to himself more than $70,000 from the fraudulently opened Chase account before his scheme was discovered and the bank froze the account, according to allegations.

Aleman turned himself in to federal authorities on January 14, and he was later released on bond with conditions that he not work for or conduct business with a financial institution or work in any capacity where he would have access to customers’ bank accounts, credit card numbers, or other personal identifying information. He will appear again in federal court on the indictment in the near future.

If convicted, Aleman could face up to 30 years in prison as well as a $1 million possible fine.

This case was investigated by the Secret Service with the assistance of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Sully is prosecuting the case.

A complaint or indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.