BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo man pleaded guilty on Monday to charges related to defrauding a bank when he was an employee.
Gerald Battle, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of grand larceny in the third degree, one count of identity theft in the first degree, and one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree. He pleaded guilty to the highest sustainable charges.
Battle, a former bank employee, admitted to defrauding the bank and victims by knowingly assuming people's identities to make unauthorized purchases over more than three years.
An investigation began after a restaurant employee notified the Erie County Sheriff’s Office the business was charged in an authorized transaction for a food delivery order.
The investigation found that Battle used the banking information from numerous victims whose information he fraudulently obtained to order food and deliver it to his apartment on Delaware Avenue in the City of Buffalo between July 2018 and November 2021.
The victims who reported the unauthorized debit charges were refunded by the bank. Numerous business are believed to be impacted as they took on the liability for the unauthorized transactions.
At the plea, Battle agreed to pay $50,000 in restitution to the bank.
Battle faces a maximum of seven years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced in July and was released on his own recognizance as his charges did not qualify for bail.
