WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A former teller at a Massachusetts bank has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $100,000 from several customers, including some in their 80s.
The Telegram & Gazette reports that 35-year-old Jessica Vargas pleaded guilty Wednesday to bank fraud and bank embezzlement.
Federal prosecutors say Vargas stole the money over a 17-month period by making unauthorized cash withdrawals from customer accounts at Athol Savings Bank.
Authorities say she stole more than $53,000 from an 84-year-old woman’s account, and almost $13,000 from an 88-year-old woman’s account.
She was caught in December 2017 when a customer noticed an unauthorized $2,000 withdrawal.
Vargas told investigators she was sending the money to her mother.
Vargas was released pending sentencing in May. Prosecutors say they will request a sentence of 15 to 21 months.
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