MUSKOGEE – A McAlester man released from custody while awaiting sentencing in federal district court here after admitting he committed bank fraud 13 months ago was arrested last month for shoplifting.
Bradley Scott Sutterfield, 43, pleaded guilty March 5, 2024, to one count of bank fraud. He admitted cashing counterfeit savings bonds at banks in Coweta and Checotah, and attempting to cash bogus bonds at a bank in McAlester.
He could be sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, especially since he violated terms of his pretrial release from custody.
Sutterfield told the court that he was approached by a friend and two strangers, one of whom asked Sutterfield whether he would like to make some money by cashing savings bonds. He said he was told that “the purpose of transferring the savings bonds” in his own name was “to allow the individual to avoid tax liabilities.”
Sutterfield subsequently admitted he “was aware of sufficient facts to know there was a high probability that the bonds were fraudulent.”
Nevertheless, he entered First National Bank of Coweta on March 27, 2023, and presented two $5,000 savings bonds for redemption. In exchange he received $21,900, the value of the bonds and accrued interest.
On March 28, 2023, Sutterfield entered The Bank N.A. in McAlester and presented for redemption two $5,000 savings bonds in his name. He was paid $25,548, the value of the bonds plus accrued interest.
Later that same day Sutterfield entered Peoples National Bank and presented for redemption two counterfeit savings bonds: one for $5,000 and the other for $10,000, both bearing his name.
Apparently that plan failed. In his plea agreement states that if the bank had allowed Sutterfield to cash out those two savings bonds he would have received a payment of $33,432 constituting the face value of the bonds plus accrued interest.
If the scheme had succeeded a third time, Sutterfield’s haul would have totaled $80,880, federal investigators and prosecutors noted.
The felony charge against Sutterfield was filed Feb. 28, 2024, in Muskogee’s Eastern District federal court. With his guilty plea Sutterfield agreed to make “full restitution” of $47,448, the combined payouts from the banks in Coweta and McAlester, minus $16,840 in cash that was seized from him on April 6, 2023.
Sutterfield was released from custody on an unsecured $10,000 bond after pleading guilty to the federal fraud charge March 5.
One month later, on April 5, he was arrested by McAlester police on a charge of larceny of merchandise from a retailer. Sutterfield is accused of shoplifting miscellaneous items with a collective value of less than $1,000 from a local Walmart store. A police officer said Sutterfield was confronted by loss prevention associates who contacted the McAlester Police Department; he was arrested and taken to the Pittsburg County Jail.
Sutterfield was charged in Pittsburg County District Court with petty larceny, pleaded not guilty and was released on $500 bond April 8; however, he failed to return to court on April 24, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, and his $500 bond was revoked May 1. In addition, his federal bond was revoked on April 9 and a warrant for his arrest was issued to the U.S. Marshal Service.