Louisiana Man Faces up to 30 Years in Prison After Being Charged with Bank Fraud

Published January 13, 2022

Louisiana – A Louisiana man has been charged with bank fraud after allegedly transferring $213,372.05 from his employer’s account to his personal account without permission.

United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Rodney Roussell (“Roussell”), age 40, of Belle Rose, Louisiana, was charged on January 7, 2022, by a Bill of Information for Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344(2).

A Louisiana business (“Company A”) filed a complaint with the FBI, which led to Roussell’s arrest. Roussell started working for Company A in August 2017, according to the Bill of Information. Company A’s operational headquarters were in New Orleans, Louisiana. JPMorgan Chase Bank (“Chase Bank”) held a business account for Company A. Roussell’s salary payments from Company A were made electronically, and the funds were pulled from Company A’s account.

Roussell faces a potential sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of not more than $1 million, a five-year period of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment charge if convicted.

Roussell was not supposed to have access to Company A’s Chase Bank Account as an employee, and he was not allowed to make any payments with the account’s funds. Roussell used Chase Bank’s web portal and mobile banking app to transfer money from Company A’s account to settle the balance of Roussell’s personal bank card beginning in or around April 2018 and continuing until or around June 2018. Roussell took $213,372.05 from Company A’s Chase Bank account in total.

U.S. Attorney Evans stated that a Bill of Information is merely a charge and the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige O’Hale.