By: Associated Press//November 13, 2013//
MILWAUKEE (AP) — An Appleton man who pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bank fraud has been sentenced to 16 months in prison.
Travis A. Zielinski was convicted of withdrawing over $68,000 from 48 customer accounts. Investigators say the 28-year-old acknowledged reading obituaries so he could target accounts of people who recently died.
Prosecutors say many of the accounts he went after belonged to people who were dead, incapacitated or otherwise vulnerable.
Zielinski was also ordered Tuesday to pay just over $68,000 in restitution. He must also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.
Zielinski’s defense attorney, Steven G. Richards, declined to comment.