Crimeupdated 1h ago3 min read
Jennifer Lamanna Stole $280,000 From Venice, Florida Bank Vault, DOJ Says
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Jennifer Lamanna, a Florida bank employee, stole $280,000 from a bank vault. She falsified transaction records and created fake cash-deposit reports to conceal theft.
Vault theft and coverup
Jennifer Lamanna worked at a bank in Florida and stole $280,000 from the bank vault, then tried to cover it up by falsifying transaction records.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Lamanna started stealing money in 2020 while working at an insured financial institution in Venice, Florida, and it said reduced staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic gave her sole access and control over a branch vault.
The IRS said Lamanna deposited $255,362 into a bank account under her control, and it said the total amount she stole over several months reached $280,000.
The DOJ said Lamanna filed a false cash-deposit report claiming a customer deposited more than $160,000 when no such deposit was made, and the IRS said she later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
The DOJ said the scheme involved falsifying transaction records and that the investigation was conducted jointly by the IRS Criminal Investigation division and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General.
COVID relief fraud
Mohammed Maio, a 44-year-old Phoenix man, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, felon in possession of a firearm, and materially false statement during the acquisition of a firearm.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Arizona said Maio conspired between May 2020 and March 2024 to fraudulently obtain and misuse multiple Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan relief loans.
The release said Maio submitted false information to secure nearly $2.2 million in loans for multiple businesses that had no employees, and it said the funds were used for personal enrichment including the purchase of multiple properties.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said, "Maio’s actions resulted in significant financial loss to the U.S. government and exploited a program intended to provide relief to small businesses during a national crisis," and he added that fraud "places an additional burden on taxpayers who ultimately bear the cost of these crimes."
The release said Maio arranged for his mother to purchase a firearm on his behalf in May 2021 and admitted he caused her to falsely state on the purchase application that the firearm was for her use rather than his.
FBI Most Wanted heiress
Mary Carole McDonnell, a 75-year-old woman, was added to the FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters List after authorities said she bilked banks in Los Angeles and Orange counties out of nearly $30 million in 2017 and 2018. The FBI said McDonnell is alleged to have knowingly and with the intent to defraud devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by Banc of California. The FBI said McDonnell used the scheme to fraudulently take $14.7 million from Banc of California, which it said she knew she was not entitled and has not paid back.
Patrick Grandy, the FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director in Charge, said, "It's just a matter of time before McDonnell is caught as we work with our international partners to locate her," and he said a generous reward is being offered for information leading to her apprehension and conviction. The FBI said McDonnell is believed to be in Dubai and has ties to Southern California and Montgomery, Alabama, and it listed her as standing 5-foot-7 and weighing approximately 145 pounds.