(Reuters) -A former TD Bank employee forged documents to open dozens of accounts and provided concierge-like services to help cash flow across borders, Bloomberg News reported on Monday.
Gerry Aquino Vargas, the now former retail banker in Hollywood, Florida, an outpost of TD Bank, took a series of $200 bribes to help clients move millions to Colombia by bypassing anti-money laundering defenses, according to the report, citing US prosecutors.
“When we became aware of these cases, we took action against these employees, coordinated efforts with the DOJ and supported their work to bring these criminals to justice,” the bank said in an emailed statement to Reuters .
“More broadly, where our program has not been effective, we have held those leaders accountable and are taking action to effect change and meet our commitments,” a bank spokesperson added in additional commentary.
The lender is facing a U.S. Department of Justice investigation for its ties to a $653 million drug money laundering case in New York and New Jersey related to the sale of illegal drugs and an employee who accepts bribes to facilitate drug money laundering.
Last year, the bank announced it was cooperating with authorities in a DoJ investigation into its anti-money laundering compliance program.
