CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – David Paul Ritter, a former bank teller at Summit Community Bank in Salem, West Virginia, has admitted to taking nearly $100,000 from customer accounts, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Ritter, 31, of Salem, was employed as a bank teller at Summit Community Bank. From July 2020 until February 2021, Ritter embezzled more than $97,000 from five bank accounts. He then failed to report the extra income in his tax return to the IRS for 2020.
Ritter pleaded guilty today to one count of “Bank Theft” and one count of “False Tax Return.”
As a part of the plea agreement, Ritter agrees to pay $97,765.30 in restitution to the bank, as well as an amount of restitution to the IRS that will be determined at sentencing.
Victims in this case were identified and the bank reimbursed the affected accounts immediately after the theft was discovered.
Ritter faces up to 30 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the theft charge and faces up to three years of incarceration for the tax charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service, the FBI, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.