BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 69-year-old permanent legal resident from Mexico living in Brownsville has entered pleas of guilty to theft/embezzlement of bank funds, theft of funds by a bank employee and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Maria de Los Angeles Caballero aka Angie Caballero pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Rolando Rivera.
From about November 2010 to July 2017, while employed as vice-president at Texas Community Bank in Brownsville, Caballero withdrew funds from two customer accounts without authorization. From one account, she ordered and obtained blank checks on which she then proceeded to forge the customer’s signature, fill out amounts and deposit the checks into a Wells Fargo account under the names of two of her relatives.
Authorities discovered 24 checks Caballero forged in this manner. Additionally, Caballero ordered and signed two cashier’s checks which she then deposited into her relatives’ account at Wells Fargo Bank.
The total amount she embezzled from the two accounts was proved to be $1,516,391.57.
Judge Olvera accepted the pleas and set sentencing for June 12, 2019. At that time, Caballero faces up to 30 years in of imprisonment as well as a $1 million fine. The identity theft also carries a mandatory 24 months which must be served consecutively to any other term imposed.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The government will seek to obtain restitution on behalf of the two bank customers to recover the embezzled amount.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is prosecuting the case.
