Former Rhode Island Bank Employee Sentenced for Stealing Over $125,000 from Customer with Dementia
A federal judge ordered 30 months in prison and $126,000 in restitution.
PROVIDENCE — A former Santander Bank employee has been sentenced to federal prison for stealing more than $125,000 from a 78-year-old customer with dementia, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Rhode Island.
Carlos Bras, 41, of East Providence, received a 30-month prison sentence on October 8, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Melissa R. DuBose also ordered $126,000 in restitution. Bras previously pleaded guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, the theft began around May 2023. The victim lived in an assisted living facility and had a court-appointed conservator in Massachusetts.
Bras admitted enabling online access to the victim's account, ordering checks to addresses he controlled, and obtaining a debit card for personal use. Unauthorized transactions included transfers to accounts controlled by Bras and his family and wire transfers to Portugal.
The U.S. Secret Service and Seekonk Police Department investigated the case. Federal authorities announced the sentence October 9.
Case at a Glance
- Defendant:
- Carlos Bras, 41, of East Providence, Rhode Island
- Former employer:
- Santander Bank
- Victim:
- 78-year-old customer with dementia, residing in an assisted living facility
- Amount stolen:
- More than $125,000
- Charges:
- Mail fraud; aggravated identity theft
- Sentence:
- 30 months in federal prison + 3 years supervised release
- Restitution:
- $126,000
- Sentencing judge:
- Judge Melissa R. DuBose
- Sentencing date:
- October 8, 2026
- Investigating agencies:
- U.S. Secret Service; Seekonk Police Department
Official Source
- U.S. Attorney's Office for Rhode Island: October 9, 2026 announcement of sentencing.