Individual Accused of Emptying $3,000,000 from Bank Through use of False Identities, Friends, Relatives, and Complicit Employee

Georgia Man Accused of Bank Fraud Utilizing False Loan Applications and Fake Bills

A 56-year-old man residing in Macon, Georgia, identified as Ronnie Atkinson, faces charges of conspiring to commit bank fraud and identity theft in connection with a scheme that resulted in over $3 million being stolen from a local community bank.

Atkinson, who owns his own logging company, is accused of collaborating with a high-ranking executive at the bank through misleading and fraudulent promises, as reported by the local news outlet, CBS-affiliate 13WMAZ.

In an alleged fraudulent scheme, Atkinson used friends and relatives as "straw borrowers," individuals with strong credit histories who apply for loans to facilitate the transfer of funds to those who otherwise would not qualify. According to the allegations, these applications were intended to benefit Atkinson, and the bank executive was aware of the deception and approved the loans regardless.

Atkinson is also accused of presenting the bank with fake bills for logging equipment he claimed was necessary for various loans. Some bills were genuine but overpriced, while others were entirely fabricated for items never purchased. One of the provided documents, a legitimate bill totaling $56,000, enabled Atkinson to secure a loan of $149,500, according to prosecutors.

The court documents indicate that the bank executive "let Atkinson exceed his $500,000 lending limit without obtaining the appropriate approvals by making it appear these loans belonged to another individual" and "did not seek the mandatory approval for Atkinson's loans that were classified as substandard."

A grand jury has deemed there to be sufficient evidence to charge Atkinson, who faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted. The government is also seeking to seize any ill-gotten assets resulting from the fraud.

Stay updated with us on X, Facebook, and Telegram. Don't miss a beat – subscribe to receive email alerts directly to your inbox. Check price action and listen to The Daily Hodl Mix.

Industry Announcements

May 23, 2025- Venom Foundation achieves 150,000 TPS in a closed-network stress test, paving the way for the 2025 mainnet upgrade.- XDC Network announces an investment in the Laser Digital Carry Fund and launches institutional fund infrastructure with Libre.- Psy introduces a trustless bridge from Dogecoin to Solana.- Mantle and Republic Technologies forge a strategic partnership to pioneer institutional mETH integration.- BTCC Exchange appoints Dan Liu as CEO ahead of the 14th anniversary milestone.- Bitcoin Suisse secures in-principle approval from ADGM's Financial Services Regulatory Authority.- Beer 2.0, the memecoin brewing something bigger on Solana, is making waves.

$107,515.81 1.18% $2,516.48 1.61% $665.261.55% $172.49 2.26% $2.30 2.07%

Spotlight

May 18, 2025- A partner at a $56 billion venture capital firm has essential details, including phone number and address, stolen in a Coinbase hack, according to a recent report.- An 'epidemic of scams' is affecting various industries on Instagram and Facebook, says Meta, according to a report.- The mastermind behind an SEC SIM swapping scheme has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for manipulating Bitcoin prices.- Capital One is paying $425 million to customers after allegedly underpaying clients for higher returns on bank balances, according to a report.

Covering the future of finance, including macro, bitcoin, ethereum, crypto, and web 3.

Individual Accused of Emptying $3,000,000 from Bank Through use of False Identities, Friends, Relatives, and Complicit Employee