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Written by: A. Smith
Published February 3, 2025 @ 11:05 AM ET
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – A former employee of Fifth Third Bank in Gwinnett County is facing multiple charges after allegedly participating in a fraud scheme that cost the bank more than $2.6 million.
In October 2024, an employee at the Fifth Third Bank branch on Holcomb Bridge Rd. contacted authorities, reporting that 33-year-old Fedrick Jeffries had been stealing money from the bank and opening fraudulent accounts. Following the tip, investigators launched an investigation into Jeffries’ actions.
Authorities discovered that between May and October 2024, Jeffries opened five checking accounts and took out an unsecured loan worth $24,500. Investigators say that Jeffries would deposit forged and stolen checks into these accounts. In addition, other suspects would come into the bank while Jeffries was on duty, providing him with stolen identity information to help create fraudulent accounts. These individuals were then given online access to the bogus accounts.
Further investigation showed that another employee of Fifth Third Bank was also involved in opening fraudulent accounts, but this time in West Palm Beach, Florida. Together, Jeffries and the second suspect were responsible for stealing a total of $2,636,019.06 from the bank.
Jeffries has been charged with seven counts of identity theft, five counts of computer forgery, and one count of theft by taking. He was arrested and booked into the Gwinnett County Jail. However, according to jail records, Jeffries was released a few hours later on a $52,650 bond.
The case is still under investigation as authorities continue to track down additional suspects involved in the scheme. Investigators have not released the identities of anyone else they believe is connected to the operation or any information regarding the identity of the victims of the alleged scheme.