United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia

07/22/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/22/2025 13:34

Former bank insider pleads guilty to stealing money from customer accounts

Press Release

Former bank insider pleads guilty to stealing money from customer accounts

Tuesday, July 22, 2025
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For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. - A South Chesterfield woman pled guilty today to embezzling funds from and making false statements to her former employer, Truist Financial Corporation.

According to court documents, Ahshah Dior Martin, 35, repeatedly stole customer banking information to enrich herself.

In 2023, Martin began improperly using her access to Truist computer systems to gather Truist account holders' banking information. Then, she initiated fraudulent debits and withdrawals from these accounts for her own benefit. For instance, Martin repeatedly initiated payments from customer bank accounts to a child support payment processor, through which Martin paid herself. In all, Martin used her access to sensitive customer financial information to steal $195,000 from at least 70 separate Truist customer accounts.

Martin stole from the Truist accounts of individuals and entities, including multiple churches, a children's museum, an eye tissue bank non-profit organization, manufacturing and construction companies, a small business making customized holsters, and the North Carolina Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. Martin spent stolen funds on cosmetic products, clothing, travel expenses, dining, and at a hookah bar.

On April 15, 2024, Martin was terminated by Truist. Despite repeated attempts to retrieve her Truist laptop, Martin retained access to her work computer. To conceal her wrongdoing and prevent the return of her Truist laptop, Martin faked her own death. On April 17, 2024, in response to an email from Truist asking for the computer, Martin responded, "Sorry to inform you, she has passed away."

Martin is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20 and faces up to 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey D. Pittano, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Robert S. Day are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-102.

Updated July 22, 2025
Topic
Financial Fraud
Component
USAO - Virginia, Eastern
United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia published this content on July 22, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 22, 2025 at 19:35 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io