A former Florida-based employee of TD Bank, N.A., pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for fraudulently opening more than 100 bank accounts, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jhonnatan Steven Rodriguez, aka Jorge, 32, of Naples, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a two-count information charging him with one count of receipt of bribes by a bank employee and one count of making false bank entries.
Rodriguez’s sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2025.
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court, in late 2022, Rodriguez began opening bank accounts for unknown individuals in exchange for bribes of approximately $200 to $250 per account.
During the scheme, Rodriguez accepted bribes in exchange for fraudulently opening approximately 140 bank accounts, some of which were used for fraud.
In carrying out this bribery scheme, Rodriguez would often forge the purported customers’ signatures on account opening documents. To protect his identity, Rodriguez used the alias “Jorge” on a text messaging app to communicate with the individuals seeking bank accounts.
The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of the greater of up to $1 million or three times the value of the thing given, offered, promised, solicited, demanded, accepted, or agreed to be accepted.
The charge of making false bank entries carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
