Local/AP
Bernanke's personal bank account struck by ID theft
Associated Press
09/08/09 4:40 PM EDT
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA — A doctors' receptionist has admitted to stealing bank account information from patients as part of an identity theft ring that ensnared Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as a victim.
Thirty-six-year-old Makieta Leake, a Maryland resident, pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria.
She is the fifth person to plead guilty in a scheme that prosecutors say resulted in more than $2 million in losses at 10 different banks.
Leake admitted she stole information from 37 patients. She was paid between $200 and $500 for each victim's account information.
Prosecutors say that about 40 percent of the losses in the scheme can be traced back to Leake.
