Bank Executive Found Guilty in Fraud Case

CONCORD, NH—The former bank executive involved in the fraud case that took down an ex-international trade finance manager for Goss International has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, The Enterprise reported.

James Bender, 48, a former Sovereign Bank vice president of trade finance, was accused of conspiring to defraud several Latin American clients of Goss International. Bender, according to the U.S. attorney's office, arranged for the bank to purchase loans extended to clients and created shell companies to defraud businesses. Customers were sent bogus invoices charging them for loan underwriting services that were never performed.

Paul Wilson, the former Goss finance manager, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud last August and was sentenced to a year in prison. Bender will be sentenced in September.