Aiken County Men Indicted for Bank Fraud

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a three-count superseding indictment against Thomas Allen Bateman, Jr., 50, and Cody Lee Anderson, 37, both of Aiken for bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

The indictment alleges that Bateman and Anderson enticed an elderly woman to leave all her assets to Bateman through a will that designated Anderson as her personal representative. At the time, she did not have the mental capacity to make a knowing and voluntary decision regarding her assets.

Bateman and Anderson face a maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment and will make a first appearance and be arraigned by the Honorable Paige J. Gossett on July 31, 2024.

The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case.

U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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