Ameris Bank Employee Steals $931K from Customers' Accounts, Transfers to Coinbase

Ameris Bank employee Mercedes Henry has been accused of using customer information to steal $931,500 from bank accounts and transfer it to Coinbase. According to the Justice Department, between September and November 2021, Henry linked six customers' account numbers to their Coinbase accounts, which were controlled by her alleged co-conspirators.

The indictment charges Henry with bank fraud, access device fraud, and bribery. The FBI is investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathelynn Tio is prosecuting.

This is not the first time that Coinbase has been involved in a high-profile case of crypto-related theft. In June, prosecutors secured a five-year prison sentence in a federal case where nearly $100 million in fraud proceeds passed through bank accounts linked to exchanges. Some of the money was used to buy crypto through exchanges including Coinbase.