A former associate banker from a San Francisco branch of a national bank has struck a sour note with the law after being indicted for embezzling funds from customer accounts. Sixto Christopher Porras, 32, of San Francisco, is facing charges of bank funds embezzlement and access device fraud following the alleged theft from at least two retail bank customers, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California.
An indictment, filed on June 17 and unsealed on the day of the report, alleges that Porras took advantage of his position to commit the thefts. In one scenario, it's claimed that he retained a customer's debit card following a wire transfer request, embezzling approximately $100,000 from the customer's account. In a separate incident, Porras is accused of causing another customer's debit card to be reissued and sent to his residence, which he reportedly used to pocket around $340,000.
The investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigation led to Porras' arraignment, where he made an initial court appearance earlier today. According to the announcement by United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and IRS-CI's Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen, Porras has been released on bond and is slated for his next court appearance on July 14.
The charges against Porras include one count of embezzlement of bank funds, which carries a potential maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a one million dollar fine, and one count of access device fraud, which could result in 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine upon conviction. "An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," reminds the Office of the U.S. Attorney. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rezaei, with the assistance of Lynette Dixon, is responsible for prosecuting the case, per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
