SUMTER COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) – A Sumter County man was sentenced to five years in prison for his part in a multi-state bank fraud scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Eddarius Tyjuan Wallace, 37, of York, Alabama, was sentenced after he plead guilty in May 2026 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. His sentence also ordered him to pay a $25,000 fine.
According to court documents, June and September 2023, Wallace organized and ran a multi-state bank fraud conspiracy which targeted the fraudulent deposit and withdrawal of United States Treasury checks.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that Wallace recruited and trained others to carry out his fraud scheme. In June 2023, the scheme was brought to the attention of law enforcement when a bank in Tuscaloosa, Alabama reported that two U.S. Treasury checks with forged endorsements had been deposited.
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MANAGEMENT & CULTURE (THE “TONE AT THE TOP”)
Fraud thrives in “sloppy” environments where leadership ignores the rules.
- The Fraud Triangle: For fraud to occur, three elements must be present: Pressure (the need for money), Rationalization (thinking “I deserve this”), and Opportunity (weak controls). You can only control the Opportunity.
- Whistleblower Hotline: Provide an anonymous way for staff to report “odd behavior.” Most internal frauds are caught via tips, not audits.
- Background Checks: Conduct credit and criminal record checks for all employees in financial or data-sensitive roles.
- Annual Ethics Training: Make sure every staff member knows that the company has a Zero Tolerance policy toward “borrowing” from petty cash or fudging overtime.