Robert Conner Press Release (Sentencing)

February 20, 2008
For Immediate Release

FORMER BANK EXECUTIVE IS SENTENCED TO 9.5 YEARS IN PRISON ON BANK FRAUD & CREDIT CARD FRAUD CHARGES THAT RESULTED IN OVER $1.4 MILLION IN LOSSES

St. Louis, Missouri: Former Bank of America Vice President Robert Conner has been sentenced to 114 months in prison, after being convicted last fall of 36 federal charges involving a $1.4 million bank & credit card fraud scheme, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today.

“Rather than assisting fledgling small businesses with lines of credit, Connor took advantage of a well-intended program to fund his lifestyle,” said Hanaway. “Now he will have over nine years to reflect upon his crimes, and the prospect of repaying $1.4 million in restitution.”

Between June 2005 and November 2006, Robert Conner, a Vice President of Bank of America, Chesterfield branch, provided sixteen co-defendants an opportunity to submit false applications for small business lines of credit with Bank of America. The lines of credit were in the form of credit cards. In exchange for approving the fraudulent credit line application, Conner demanded a cash kickback payment of $2,500 to $5,000 from each applicant. After the fraudulent credit applications were approved by Conner, he had the credit cards sent directly to him rather than to the applicants to facilitate his receipt of cash payment kickbacks at the time he provided the card to the applicants. Typically, the first transaction on the fraudulent credit cards was a cash advance, the proceeds of which were used to pay Robert Conner a kickback.

Borrowers fraudulently applied for credit lines in the names of various business entities, many of which did not exist as legitimate businesses. The applications contained fraudulent information, such as the business entity name, its status as a legitimate business and the amount of time the business had been in operation, the annual income of the applicant and the gross annual revenue of the entity listed on the application. Conner knew the borrowers were not personally credit-worthy at the time the false credit line applications were submitted.

A total of approximately $1.4 million in fraudulent charges were made on cards fraudulently approved by Conner.

ROBERT CONNER was convicted of 36 counts of bank and credit card fraud last November and appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Henry Autrey. Additionally, the Government is seeking forfeiture of two of Connor’s vehicles: a 2006 Hummer and a 2006 GMC Yukon and a judgment for the loss amount.

Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Eastern District of Missouri- Identity Theft Task Force, which includes the St. Louis City and County Police Departments, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Schelp and Steve Holtshouser prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI CATHERINE L. HANAWAY United States Attorney	NEWS RELEASE
For further information: Call Public Affairs Officer Jan Diltz at (314) 539-7719
February 20, 2008 For Immediate Release FORMER BANK EXECUTIVE IS SENTENCED TO 9.5 YEARS IN PRISON ON BANK FRAUD & CREDIT CARD FRAUD CHARGES THAT RESULTED IN OVER $1.4 MILLION IN LOSSES St. Louis, Missouri: Former Bank of America Vice President Robert Conner has been sentenced to 114 months in prison, after being convicted last fall of 36 federal charges involving a $1.4 million bank & credit card fraud scheme, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today. “Rather than assisting fledgling small businesses with lines of credit, Connor took advantage of a well-intended program to fund his lifestyle,” said Hanaway. “Now he will have over nine years to reflect upon his crimes, and the prospect of repaying $1.4 million in restitution.” Between June 2005 and November 2006, Robert Conner, a Vice President of Bank of America, Chesterfield branch, provided sixteen co-defendants an opportunity to submit false applications for small business lines of credit with Bank of America. The lines of credit were in the form of credit cards. In exchange for approving the fraudulent credit line application, Conner demanded a cash kickback payment of $2,500 to $5,000 from each applicant. After the fraudulent credit applications were approved by Conner, he had the credit cards sent directly to him rather than to the applicants to facilitate his receipt of cash payment kickbacks at the time he provided the card to the applicants. Typically, the first transaction on the fraudulent credit cards was a cash advance, the proceeds of which were used to pay Robert Conner a kickback. Borrowers fraudulently applied for credit lines in the names of various business entities, many of which did not exist as legitimate businesses. The applications contained fraudulent information, such as the business entity name, its status as a legitimate business and the amount of time the business had been in operation, the annual income of the applicant and the gross annual revenue of the entity listed on the application. Conner knew the borrowers were not personally credit-worthy at the time the false credit line applications were submitted. A total of approximately $1.4 million in fraudulent charges were made on cards fraudulently approved by Conner. ROBERT CONNER was convicted of 36 counts of bank and credit card fraud last November and appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Henry Autrey. Additionally, the Government is seeking forfeiture of two of Connor’s vehicles: a 2006 Hummer and a 2006 GMC Yukon and a judgment for the loss amount. Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Eastern District of Missouri- Identity Theft Task Force, which includes the St. Louis City and County Police Departments, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Schelp and Steve Holtshouser prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.