Dekoda Scott Clark, a 32-year-old former banker from Tell City, Indiana, has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to bank theft and access device fraud. Clark will also serve three years of supervised release and must pay $158,208.53 in restitution to the defrauded bank.
Court records show that between January 2023 and March 2024, Clark worked as a Relationship Banker at an Evansville branch. During this period, he used his position to make unauthorized cash withdrawals and issue fraudulent debit cards tied to customer accounts without their consent. The investigation found that Clark created debit cards linked to five individuals’ accounts and two businesses, using them for 17 purchases at retailers such as Dicks Sporting Goods, Guitar Center, and Best Buy. These purchases included several high-value technology items like Apple iPads, a MacBook Pro, televisions, a Lenovo gaming laptop, memory cards, a DJI Mini Drone, and an Xbox game drive. One transaction involved depositing $2,000 into his Draft Kings account.
The total amount spent on these unauthorized purchases was $15,708.53. In addition to these transactions, Clark withdrew $142,500 in cash from the checking accounts of three individuals without their knowledge or approval.
“Bank employees are entrusted with safeguarding their customers’ hard-earned money, not exploiting that trust for personal gain,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Clark not only harmed individual victims but also undermined confidence in the financial system. This sentence, and the restitution he now owes, reflects the serious consequences of betraying that trust, and the level of accountability our office will seek for those who exploit their positions to defraud the public.”
“Instead of serving his bank’s customers, Dekoda Clark lavishly served himself by illegally taking their money to pay for video game systems and other expensive tech gadgets,” said Ike Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office. “The U.S. Secret Service is committed to safeguarding the nation’s financial infrastructure and pursuing this type of malfeasance. I am proud of our work in this case, and I want to thank the FBI, Evansville Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Indiana for their efforts in bringing justice to this defendant.”
“This sentence demonstrates that those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain will be held accountable,” said Timothy O’Malley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Indianapolis. “By stealing more than $158,000 from customer accounts, this defendant not only violated the law but also the confidence placed in him by both her employer and the community. The FBI remains committed to protecting the integrity of our financial institutions and pursuing those who commit fraud and theft.”
The case was investigated by agents from the U.S. Secret Service (https://www.secretservice.gov/), Federal Bureau of Investigation (https://www.fbi.gov/), and Evansville Police Department (https://www.evansvillepolice.com/). U.S District Judge Richard L. Young imposed Clark’s sentence.
Assistant U.S Attorney Matthew B. Miller prosecuted this case.
