D.A. Bragg Announces Indictment Of TD Bank Employee Who Distributed Customer Information On Telegram

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of DARIA SEWELL, 32, for distributing personal identifying information of TD Bank customers on Telegram while working in the anti-money laundering department at the bank. SEWELL is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information in the Second Degree. [1]

"This defendant allegedly abused her access while working in TD Bank's anti-money laundering department to steal from the bank's own customers. Telegram can be a hotbed for criminal activity, and we have uncovered everything from fraud to the sale of illegal firearms and the financing of terrorism. We will continue to leverage the expertise within our Office to root out any conduct on Telegram that poses a safety threat to Manhattanites and New Yorkers," said District Attorney Bragg.

According to court documents and statements made on the record, SEWELL worked at TD Bank from 2023 until May 2024. Through her position in the anti-money laundering department, SEWELL was able to access personal identifying information of customers. A search warrant executed on her cell phone found that she had images of 255 checks with names of customers, along with the other personal information of nearly 70 other customers, including names, addresses and social security numbers.

SEWELL then distributed the information on a Telegram channel she operated. She would instruct others to open bank accounts to deposit the checks and would split the profits.

The charges against SEWELL stemmed from a larger investigation that charged five other individuals in a check fraud scheme that totaled nearly $500,000. The defendants in that scheme allegedly deposited stolen checks into their own personal bank accounts. As part of that investigation, the Office found that the five defendants, among others, had communicated with SEWELL about strategies for committing check fraud.

The investigation into the check fraud scheme and SEWELL's conduct remains ongoing.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant D.A. Yuval Simchi-Levi, under the supervision of Chris Prevost (Deputy Chief of the Trial Division) and Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division), in consultation with Assistant District Attorney Andrew Mercer. Steven Moran, Ryan Lawrence, Douglas Daus, and Annie Ostrovskiy, formerly of this Office, as well as Trial Preparation Analyst James Hupprich and Investigative Analyst Olivia Deming all provided valuable assistance with the investigation.

D.A. Bragg thanked Detectives Michael Dalia, of the 25th Precinct's Field Intelligence Office, Detective Christopher Derco of the FBI/NYPD Metro Safe Streets Task Force, and the entire Field Intelligence Team of the 25th Police Precinct and IRS Alexandra Hotaling of the NYPD Intelligence Division.

Defendant Information:
DARIA SEWELL
New York, New York

Charged:

1. Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information in the Second Degree, a class E felony, one count

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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.