Mercedes Henry
Charged, not convicted. Mercedes Henry, 35, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, a former universal banker at Ameris Bank branches in the Atlanta area, was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 22, 2026, on charges of bank fraud, access device fraud, and bribery, and appeared in federal court on September 25, 2026, following her arrest. The charges are allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Introduction
Mercedes Henry is a former Ameris Bank employee charged in the Northern District of Georgia with using customer account data to move roughly $931,500 out of victims’ accounts and into cryptocurrency accounts controlled by her conspirators. The federal grand jury returned its indictment on September 22, 2026; she was arrested the following week and appeared in federal court on September 25, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said Henry allegedly stole sensitive information to facilitate nearly $1 million of fraudulent transfers from victims’ bank accounts to cryptocurrency accounts controlled by her co-conspirators. The case is being investigated by the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathelynn Tio prosecuting.
Background Information
In 2021, Ameris Bank employed Henry as a universal banker at multiple locations in the Atlanta area. The role gave her access to customer account information of the kind the indictment says she exploited.
The alleged scheme ran for at least six occasions between September 2021 and November 2021, according to the release — a span of roughly two months during which Henry still worked inside the bank.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
The conduct described in the indictment is account-linking fraud. On at least six occasions from September 2021 to November 2021, Henry allegedly used six Ameris customers’ bank account numbers and identifiers to link those customers’ Ameris accounts to accounts at Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange platform where account holders can buy cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
Through that scheme, Henry and her conspirators allegedly caused the fraudulent transfer of approximately $931,500 from victims’ Ameris Bank accounts into Coinbase accounts the conspirators controlled. The release states Henry received more than $1,000 in exchange for her participation — a payment the charging structure treats as a bribe alongside the bank-fraud and access-device counts.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The documented reaction is from officials. Hertzberg said, “We will work with our partners in law enforcement and the private sector to identify, arrest, and punish greedy criminals who lie, cheat, and steal to enrich themselves.” FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham said Henry and her conspirators allegedly stole consumers’ hard-earned money directly from their bank accounts, and that crimes of greed and opportunity “will not go unpunished.”
The concrete consequences are the September 22, 2026 indictment, her arrest, and her September 25, 2026 federal court appearance — with the case pending.
Current Status
As of the September 28, 2026 announcement, Mercedes Henry, 35, has been indicted on bank fraud, access device fraud, and bribery charges and has appeared in federal court following her arrest. The release reminds readers that the indictment contains only charges, that she is presumed innocent, and that the government bears the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The indictment ends Henry’s banking career in fact as well as charge: the conduct alleged spans her own 2021 employment at Ameris Bank, and the release identifies her by what she lost — “a former banker at Ameris Bank,” arrested five years after the transfers it describes. The roughly $931,500 allegedly routed to conspirators’ Coinbase accounts, and her alleged $1,000-plus cut, are now the facts she will answer in federal court.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, “Former Bank Teller Charged with Bank Fraud,” September 28, 2026 — source