NORTHERN NEW JERSEY — A former TD Bank employee has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and falsifying bank records to open over 100 fraudulent accounts, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba.
Jhonnatan Steven Rodriguez, 32, of Naples, Florida, also known as “Jorge,” entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court. He admitted to one count of receiving bribes as a bank employee and one count of making false bank entries.
According to court documents, Rodriguez began the scheme in late 2022, charging between $200 and $250 per account to open fraudulent TD Bank accounts. He used forged signatures on official forms and communicated with accomplices via encrypted messaging apps, operating under the alias “Jorge.”
Authorities said Rodriguez ultimately opened approximately 140 accounts, some of which were later linked to criminal fraud operations.
Rodriguez faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine (or three times the value of the bribes) for the bribery charge. The charge of making false bank entries carries a similar penalty. Sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2025.
The investigation was led by the IRS-Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, DEA Caribbean Division, and the FDIC Office of Inspector General’s New York Region, with support from the Morristown Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce and Justice Department trial attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney.
