BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced Tuesday that a Buffalo man was sentenced to one year in jail.
53-year-old Gerald Battle, a former bank employee, admitted to defrauding the financial institution and its customers.
Battle assumed the identities of multiple individuals by using their debit card information to make a number of unauthorized transactions at restaurants, grocery stores, and online retailers.
An investigation into Battle began after a restaurant notified the Erie County Sheriff's Office of a back charge by the bank after a prior authorized transaction.
The investigation found that Battle not only fraudulently obtained banking information that belonged to numerous victims, but he also used their information to buy food and other goods between July 1, 2018, and Nov. 1, 2021.
All items were delivered to Battle's residence on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.
All victims who reported the fraudulent debit card transactions were reimbursed by the bank. The businesses that Battle made transactions at suffered losses after being back charged by the bank.
Battle pleaded guilty to one count of grand larceny in the third degree, one count of identity theft in the first degree, and one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree.
Battle additionally signed a confession of judgment to pay $50,000 restitution to the bank. As of Oct. 25, no restitution has been paid.
