The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Leonardo Ayala, a former TD Bank, N.A. employee, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and facilitating the laundering of more than USD 5.5 million to Colombia. Court filings describe conduct between June and November 2023 in which Ayala opened fraudulent accounts, issued more than 150 debit cards to shell companies, and unblocked debit cards that TD Bank had restricted due to questionable activity. The accounts and cards were then used for more than 12,000 ATM withdrawals in Colombia, moving approximately USD 5.5 million out of the United States; Ayala received more than USD 6,000 in bribes paid in cash and via a peer-to-peer digital payment network. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder monetary instruments (maximum 20 years’ imprisonment) and receipt of bribes by a bank employee (maximum 30 years), with sentencing set for June 11.
U.S. Department of Justice 2026-01-30
U.S. Department of Justice secures guilty plea from former TD Bank employee over bribes and laundering USD 5.5 million to Colombia
Leonardo Ayala, a former TD Bank employee, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and facilitating the laundering of over USD 5.5 million to Colombia, involving fraudulent accounts and debit cards used for ATM withdrawals. He faces up to 50 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for June 11.