NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RODNEY ROUSSELL (“ROUSSELL”), age 40, of Belle Rose, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 12, 2022 for Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344(2).
The case against ROUSSELL began as a result of a complaint from a New Orleans company (“Company A”) to the FBI. According to documents filed in federal court, in August, 2017, ROUSSELL began working for Company A through a work re-entry program for persons with criminal records. Company A’s operational headquarters was in New Orleans, Louisiana, and they maintained a business account with JPMorgan Chase Bank (“Chase Bank”).
As Company A’s employee, ROUSSELL did not have access to Company A’s Chase Bank account, and was not authorized to make payments of any kind using funds in the account. Beginning in or about April 2018, and continuing until in or about June 2018, ROUSSELL utilized Chase Bank’s web portal and mobile banking app to transfer money from Company A’s account to accounts held by ROUSSELL, including MC & Associates Management, Inc. In total, ROUSSELL illegally obtained $213,372.05 from Company A’s Chase Bank account.
U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced ROUSSELL to seventy (70) months imprisonment, followed by five (5) years of supervised release, a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee, and ordered ROUSSELL to pay restitution in the amount of $213,372.05 to Company A.
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.