Orlando Sentinel Newspaper
When John Rector stole $222,000 from a bank safety-deposit box at a Wachovia Bank branch in 2004, he had no idea the money came from an illegal gambling operation.
At first, bank officials at the Apopka-area branch and federal agents also did not know the source of the funds.
However, the deposit-box owner later implicated an Orlando area father-and-son duo in an Internet sports-gambling scheme that had netted the pair as much as $1 million a year from 2000 to 2005.
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced Rector, 53, a Cocoa safety-deposit box technician and locksmith, to 27 months in prison. He also ordered Rector to repay nearly $70,000 in a separate bank theft involving jewelry, gold coins and silver bars from a retired teacher.
Federal and local investigators assigned to a joint U.S. Secret Service-Internal Revenue Service money-laundering task force unraveled the unusual case with a twist of luck.
"It was just fortuitous that he happened to hit that particular box," said James Glendinning, assistant special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service office in Orlando.
The box at Wachovia's Hunt Club Boulevard branch in Apopka belonged to Lisa Todoran, a former girlfriend of Ervin Vance Broome Jr.
Broome, his son Ervin Vance Broome III and an associate, William Scott Jones, were sentenced to a year of probation and no prison time in April for their roles in transmitting wagering information and money laundering. Broome Jr. agreed to forfeit a $339,000 house in Maitland and $100,000 equity in a life-insurance policy. His son agreed to give up an additional $100,000 in cash.
Glendinning said a tip from an Osceola County deputy sheriff assigned to the task force led Brevard County investigators and federal agents to follow the money and retrace Rector's June 2004 work at the bank. That month, Rector tried to return $222,040 to Wachovia officials, saying he had found the money in his truck.
Investigators then discovered he had snatched diamonds, watches, gold coins and silver bars in 2003 from Barbara Huffman, the retired 71-year-old teacher.
After learning of Rector's theft and questioning Todoran, investigators found suspicious activity reports filed by bank officials that led them to the Broomes' gambling operation.
"It's kind of crazy," Glendinning said. "If you follow the money, you associate the three -- Todoran, Rector and the Broomes."
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell on Tuesday ordered Rector to five years of probation and 150 hours of community service.
Rector also must make a $6,000 down payment toward restitution and sell a 2000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle to further repay Huffman.
Rector reached a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in which he admitted the safety-deposit box thefts.
Attorney Michael Hill said his client was caught up in "unfortunate circumstances" but was trying to make amends by cooperating with agents on how to boost bank-security procedures.
"I abused my trust and for that I'm guilty and truly sorry," Rector told Presnell before learning of his sentence.
"You betrayed our government, the banking system and the victim," Presnell told Rector.
The judge acknowledged Rector's remorse and depression. Rector will surrender to authorities Sept. 5 after he completes anger-management classes.
Huffman, who may seek a civil lawsuit against Wachovia for negligence, said she still does not understand why she did not learn of the 2003 theft to her safety-deposit box until 2004.
"I put my jewelry and coins in Wachovia bank . . . because I thought they would be safe there," she said. Although investigators were able to return some jewelry that Rector pawned, Huffman said some of her family's jewels and the memories associated with them are lost forever.
"It was very meaningful to me, and I still feel devastated," she said.
When John Rector stole $222,000 from a bank safety-deposit box at a Wachovia Bank branch in 2004, he had no idea the money came from an illegal gambling operation.
At first, bank officials at the Apopka-area branch and federal agents also did not know the source of the funds.
However, the deposit-box owner later implicated an Orlando area father-and-son duo in an Internet sports-gambling scheme that had netted the pair as much as $1 million a year from 2000 to 2005.
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced Rector, 53, a Cocoa safety-deposit box technician and locksmith, to 27 months in prison. He also ordered Rector to repay nearly $70,000 in a separate bank theft involving jewelry, gold coins and silver bars from a retired teacher.
Federal and local investigators assigned to a joint U.S. Secret Service-Internal Revenue Service money-laundering task force unraveled the unusual case with a twist of luck.
"It was just fortuitous that he happened to hit that particular box," said James Glendinning, assistant special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service office in Orlando.
The box at Wachovia's Hunt Club Boulevard branch in Apopka belonged to Lisa Todoran, a former girlfriend of Ervin Vance Broome Jr.
Broome, his son Ervin Vance Broome III and an associate, William Scott Jones, were sentenced to a year of probation and no prison time in April for their roles in transmitting wagering information and money laundering. Broome Jr. agreed to forfeit a $339,000 house in Maitland and $100,000 equity in a life-insurance policy. His son agreed to give up an additional $100,000 in cash.
Glendinning said a tip from an Osceola County deputy sheriff assigned to the task force led Brevard County investigators and federal agents to follow the money and retrace Rector's June 2004 work at the bank. That month, Rector tried to return $222,040 to Wachovia officials, saying he had found the money in his truck.
Investigators then discovered he had snatched diamonds, watches, gold coins and silver bars in 2003 from Barbara Huffman, the retired 71-year-old teacher.
After learning of Rector's theft and questioning Todoran, investigators found suspicious activity reports filed by bank officials that led them to the Broomes' gambling operation.
"It's kind of crazy," Glendinning said. "If you follow the money, you associate the three -- Todoran, Rector and the Broomes."
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell on Tuesday ordered Rector to five years of probation and 150 hours of community service.
Rector also must make a $6,000 down payment toward restitution and sell a 2000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle to further repay Huffman.
Rector reached a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in which he admitted the safety-deposit box thefts.
Attorney Michael Hill said his client was caught up in "unfortunate circumstances" but was trying to make amends by cooperating with agents on how to boost bank-security procedures.
"I abused my trust and for that I'm guilty and truly sorry," Rector told Presnell before learning of his sentence.
"You betrayed our government, the banking system and the victim," Presnell told Rector.
The judge acknowledged Rector's remorse and depression. Rector will surrender to authorities Sept. 5 after he completes anger-management classes.
Huffman, who may seek a civil lawsuit against Wachovia for negligence, said she still does not understand why she did not learn of the 2003 theft to her safety-deposit box until 2004.
"I put my jewelry and coins in Wachovia bank . . . because I thought they would be safe there," she said. Although investigators were able to return some jewelry that Rector pawned, Huffman said some of her family's jewels and the memories associated with them are lost forever.
"It was very meaningful to me, and I still feel devastated," she said.
