Farmington Resident Enters Plea In $100,000-Plus Bank Fraud Case

FARMINGTON, CT — A Farmington woman has entered a guilty plea in federal case involving a $103,000 bank embezzlement.

Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, special agent in charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced Tuesday that Lee Blanchette, 58, of Farmington, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to one count of bank fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Blanchette was employed by Bank of America as a relationship manager. As a relationship manager, Blanchette had the authority to cause temporary ATM cards to be activated and assigned to a customer’s account.

Between August 2014 and March 2016, Blanchette caused multiple temporary ATM cards to be activated for bank accounts of a customer who Blanchette knew was experiencing "cognitive decline," according t case records. Without the customer's authorization, Blanchette used the temporary ATM cards to withdraw "significant funds" from the customer's accounts, according to case records.

The loss to the customer totaled $103,080.

Bank fraud carries a maximum prison term of 30 years, Boyle said.

Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for August 26, 2021.

Blanchette has agreed to pay restitution to Bank of America, which covered the victim’s losses, Boyle said.

Blanchette is released pending sentencing.