New London woman pleads guilty to bank fraud

New Haven – A New London woman accused of helping steal more than $300,000 from 250 bank accounts across New England pleaded guilty to a bank fraud charge in federal court Monday.

Gabriella Graham, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud stemming from her role in a scheme to "skim" automatic teller machine user's bank account information.

Graham faces a maximum 30-year prison term and a fine of $1 million at her March 8 sentencing.

According to the United States Attorney's Office, Graham helped make counterfeit ATM cards, served as a lookout and made unauthorized cash withdrawals using stolen bank account information between February and July.

Prosecutors said Graham and her conspirators victimized 11 banks and one credit union in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, stealing $336,057.64 from more than 250 different bank accounts.

Prosecutors said the "skimming" scheme involved installing devices on ATMs that recorded information encoded on the magnetic strips of bank cards used by ATM customers. The criminal group also put hidden pinhole cameras on ATMs to record users' personal identification numbers. That information allowed Graham and her conspirators to create counterfeit bank cards and steal money from those customers' accounts.

The Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation with help and support from numerous local, state and federal agencies.