ATLANTA – Mercedes Henry, a former banker at Ameris Bank, was arrested last week on federal charges of bank fraud, access device fraud, and bribery after she allegedly defrauded Ameris Bank out of more than $900,000.
“Henry allegedly stole sensitive information to facilitate nearly $1 million of fraudulent transfers from victims’ bank accounts to cryptocurrency accounts controlled by her co-conspirators,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will work with our partners in law enforcement and the private sector to identify, arrest, and punish greedy criminals who lie, cheat, and steal to enrich themselves.”
“Ms. Henry and her conspirators allegedly stole consumers’ hard-earned money directly from their bank accounts,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Crimes of greed and opportunity will not go unpunished as the FBI and our law enforcement partners use all the tools at our disposal to uncover these illegal acts.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2021, Ameris Bank employed Mercedes Henry as a universal banker at Ameris Bank at multiple locations in the Atlanta area. On at least six occasions from September 2021 to November 2021, Henry allegedly used six Ameris customers’ bank account numbers and identifiers to link the customers’ Ameris accounts to accounts at Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange platform that allows account holders to buy different cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Through this scheme, Henry and her conspirators caused the fraudulent transfer of approximately $931,500 from victims’ accounts at Ameris Bank to Coinbase accounts controlled by the conspirators. Henry received more than $1,000 in exchange for her participation in the scheme.
On September 25, 2026, Mercedes Henry, 35, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, appeared in federal court following her arrest after a federal grand jury returned an indictment on September 22, 2026.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Cathelynn Tio is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Northern District of Georgia — U.S. Department of Justice press release.